Divine Intervention
by Mortal Wonderland
Summary: AH. Clary's life was perfect, amazing friends, nice boyfriend and a great band. But when heartbreak comes her way she has to pick up the pieces left behind. Years later her past comes back to haunt her future and the only way to move on is to forgive the sins of others, but at what cost? Her career, her love life and her entire future rests on the shoulders of one person.
1. You Again

**_Helloooooo. So there are a few things I want to say, first of all I know it's been a while since I posted anything but I felt really guilty every time I left you guys hanging on my other story Signed Anonymous because I couldn't be bothered to write a new chapter. This time I have almost finished writing the entire story before posting anything, that is why it has taken me a year to write this. It took everything I had not to post the first chapter before finishing and I kind of failed since I still have to write the last two chapters, but I couldn't wait any longer. Hopefully this time I will keep the updates regular since the chapters are already_** ** _written. That being said, I plan on updating this story once every week so that I don't end up posting all of the chapters in a few days and then have a year's worth of work gone in the blink of an eye._**

 ** _Secondly, (I know that was a really long first point) I will definitely be finishing this story and not leaving anyone hanging mid story. THIS WILL BE FINISHED._**

 ** _Thirdly, I want to thank anyone who has read Signed Anonymous and is reading this story as well. And to those who are new to my writing, welcome and thank you for giving me a chance._**

 ** _Lastly... I kind of forgot what I wanted to say, ummm, oh well I'll probably remember as soon as I post this._** ** _Anyway, please don't forget to leave a review, even if it really small. I love to hear your opinions and it really motivates me to write more as well as putting me in a really good mood._**

 ** _I hope you guys like the story. -M_**

* * *

 _Plant your own garden_

 _and decorate your own soul_

 _instead of waiting for someone_

 _to bring you flowers._

 _My goals don't stop for anyone._

 _Either you support me or I make it_

 _happen alone. Either way it's_

 _going to happen._

* * *

"I'll be there in a minute. I've got some amazing news to tell you guys." Clary hung up the phone as she made her way out of the subway and into the busy streets of New York. Most people thought that living in a big city meant that you would be lonely, that you'd constantly be surrounded by filth and chaos. But to Clary, this was her home. The place where she grew up. Every memory she had was in this city, both the good and the bad. Everything. Every boyfriend, every band practice, every late night study session, every laugh, every tear. New York was a part of her and she didn't know how she'd be able to survive outside of her home.

Clary hurried across the street and found herself walking towards a very familiar building. She'd made this trip more times than she could count and could probably do it with her eyes closed. The old and withered door stood as it had for over 19 years. Each brick holding together the only home she'd ever known. She felt both excited and terrified at the prospect of telling her friends her news. She pictured their reactions and wondered if they would be as excited as she was. This was their chance to finally do what they'd been trying to achieve for longer than she could remember. Before she knew it Clary had made it to the door and was facing a chorus of hello's from her friends and family. This was it, now or never.

"So what's the big news?" asked Alec from his seat on the couch.

"Yeah, I didn't get up this early because I felt like it." said Jonathan.

"It's ten o'clock." Clary told her brother incredulously.

"My point precisely." he replied. Realising that she couldn't put this off any longer Clary opened her mouth to speak, but not before giving her brother a disapproving look.

"I just had a meeting with Jordan." She started before being interrupted by a million questions. Since Jordan was their manager he usually met with all of them or not at all. "Anyway," she carried on, talking over everyone else in order to get their attention. "he said that he had big news to tell us but first he needed me to go and check over a few details beforehand." Clary could tell that none of them really cared about the details, they were all too excited to hear the news. They knew perfectly well that if it concerned Jordan then it was about their band. "Jordan wanted to tell you guys himself but he had to stay and organise stuff and he knew that I wouldn't be able to keep it a secret." Everyone knew how bad a liar Clary was so it wasn't a surprise that she had been entrusted to tell everyone.

"Get to the point already before I die of old age." Jon told her through a yawn.

Clary took a deep breath before finally speaking "We're going on tour!" The whole room went silent before exploding in a mess of excitement. Simon who had been sitting on the arm of the couch fell to the floor while Isabelle and Alec embraced each other. Jonathan's jaw had dropped and Clary couldn't keep the smile off her face. After everyone calmed down Clary was able to explain to her friends that the condition for them going on tour was that they had to share the spotlight with another artist that they'd be able to meet later on that day. Once they had done so they would be able to sign their contracts and would be given all of the information regarding the tour. Even though Isabelle wasn't exactly a part of the band she had been hired as their official stylist and would also be going on tour with them.

"This is incredible, I must be dreaming." Simon was saying having recovered himself from the floor. "Quick! Someone pinch me." All too happy to seize the opportunity all of them pinched Simon. "Ow! I didn't mean everyone!"

"Should've been more specific." Alec told him, trying to hide the smile from creeping onto his face. The group spent the rest of the day in Clary and Jon's house discussing everything that would happen to them. Sometime in the day they were joined by Jocelyn and Luke who were ecstatic to hear the news knowing that it's what Clary and Jon wanted. Though, they were still sceptic to let their children go on an adventure that would take them so far away from them.

"It'll be fine." Clary told her mother. They had snuck off to the kitchen for some privacy from everyone else.

"I know, but I'm your mother and it's my job to worry."

"Jon will be there, he'll look after me."

"Knowing you Clary you'll end up looking after him." They both chuckled at that. Clary did have a habit of making sure that she put everyone else before herself. More than once she'd sacrificed her own happiness for someone else's.

"We'll look out for each other." Clary reassured her mother before embracing her. Jocelyn had always been there for Clary no matter what and it made Clary feel slightly guilty that she had agreed to go on tour without much thought about leaving behind her parents. She squeezed her mother tighter in an effort to convey how much she loved her, an action witch Jocelyn mirrored perfectly.

In an effort to calm their nerves, the group decided to watch a film in order to pass the time and distract themselves from their own thoughts. By the time the film finished there was only about an hour left before the big meeting. Jordan had called in the afternoon informing them that he'd meet them at the house and would be brining along the artist and his manager.

Clary watched the sun as it disappeared behind the horizon and the glittering lights of the city illuminated her view. She'd always loved listening to the hum of energy that came from the streets bellow. Even at this time of the day people roamed the streets ranging from businessmen to partygoers. There was always something to look at outside her window and she found this was her favourite place to come and loose herself in her own thoughts. She could retreat into herself and contemplate her life in a place she wouldn't be disturbed. It was this very spot that had given birth to more than one of the bands' songs. For some reason it was always easier to channel her emotions and pour them onto paper by this very window.

The more Clary thought about going on tour, the more things she realised she would miss. Clary didn't realise just how much of her life depended on the city around her. Everywhere she looked she could see one of her own memories playing in front of her very eyes. The first time she met each of her friends, their first band practice, her first heartbreak. She shoved those thoughts away, today was a happy day, she wouldn't let memories of the past ruin it.

Clary was snapped out of her thoughts by the ringing doorbell, she took one last look out the window and got up to go and meet everyone. When she got to the living room though her heart almost stopped. Jon was being restrained by Simon and Alec who all had looks of pure hatred on their faces. Meanwhile Jordan was standing next to a woman Clary had never seen before and they both looked extremely confused. Isabelle was shouting at someone across the room and Jocelyn and Luke looked like they didn't know whether to join her or not. Finally Clary's eyes landed on the one person in the room she had hoped to never see in her life again. Her heart stopped and she was frozen in place.

He'd changed over the years, yet he still had the same arrogant smirk, the same cocky look in his eyes and the same chilled out look to him that once made her heart melt. Now it just made her blood boil. Everyone's reactions seemed only to amuse him. Clary wanted to scream at him and to slap him but at the same time she didn't want him to know that even after all these years he could still incite even the slightest bit of emotion from her. Since no one had noticed her arrival yet- too involved in their own antics- Clary decided to take a deep breath and calm herself down before she made her way fully into the room. "Guys!" Everyone turned to look at her, immediately stopping what they were doing. Clary could tell that they were waiting to see how she'd react, waiting for an explosion, for something. Out of the corner of her eye she could tell that he was also looking at her, excited to see what she'd do.

Now that she had everyone's attention, Clary wasn't exactly sure what to do with it. She looked over to Jordan who immediately took control of the situation, "Okay, now that everyone's calmed down I'd like to introduce you to the artist that will be going on tour with you. Everyone, meet Jace Herondale."

"Absolutely not!" Jonathan exclaimed. "I will not under any circumstances allow HIM to go on tour with us!"

"Have I missed something?" Jordan asked obviously unable to ignore the subject any longer.

No one seemed to want to reply to Jordan's question, so instead a heavy silence fell upon the room. Alec being the most composed of the group was the first to reply. "He used to be in our band. Before he quit to go solo."

"Okay… I'm guessing things didn't end very well." Jordan continued.

"That asshole almost destroyed our band." Clary said through gritted teeth.

"Asshole?" Jace asked feigning hurt, "How you wound me Clarissa. Here I thought you of all people would be happy to see me again." His iconic smirk returning to it's place on his face.

"I'll give you something to smirk about." Jonathan made to get up from the couch but before he could even remove his butt from the seat he was being pulled back down by Alec and Simon. "I am NOT going on tour with that jackass."

"Well I hate to break it to you, but it's either go on tour with him or don't go on tour at all." Jordan told them. His words seemed to strike a cord in everyone. Clary knew they all wanted to go on tour more than anything in the world, after all they had been working towards this moment for years. This was their one and only chance, if they didn't snatch it up fast, someone else would.

Clary looked around the room and could see that they were all thinking the same thing as her and were nodding their heads in consent unable to utter the words. "Fine." The word tasted bitter in her mouth. "We'll go on tour with him." Jordan went on to tell them that they would fly to North Carolina where they would start their tour before making their way back to New York for their final performance. Despite their resentment towards having to share this experience with Jace the band was still determined to make this the best few months of their lives.

* * *

"Are you sure you've got everything?" Jocelyn asked her children for the fiftieth time.

"Yes." Clary and Jonathan responded in unison.

"Make sure to take care of each other. I will be checking up on you both and if I even hear that something has happened so help me god…"

"Jocelyn relax. They're old enough to take good care of themselves and I'm sure they'll look out for each other. Isn't that right?" Luke attempted to calm down his wife, something they all knew was impossible.

"Yes." They both responded together. It was usual for their mother to panic before they left anywhere, it had been this way ever since Clary and Jon were little kids and started going to sleepovers. You'd think now that they were both adults their mother trusted them in the big bad world but she was still as persistent as ever.

"Are you guys coming? We're gonna miss our flight." Simon told them as he passed by their little group.

Clary and Jon hugged their parents goodbye before hurrying onto their plane. They settled into their seats, Isabelle next to Simon, Alec and Jon, Jordan and the woman who'd been at the apartment- Maia- apparently she was Jace's manager. Clary took her seat and hoped to god that Jace would sit somewhere else but since the whole world seemed to be against her recently, he waltzed up to the seat next to her and planted himself in it. Clary could see the scowl on Jonathan's face from where she was sitting, luckily though he didn't do anything else. She'd have to watch out for him, after all, Jonathan had been the most upset by Jace's departure other than herself. Jace and Jon had been as close as anything until Jace turned around and stabbed everyone in the back. They all knew that Jace wan't the most kind person in the world, but they never thought that he'd betray them the way he did.

Because it was a short flight Clary had brought no entertainment with her other than her iPod. She plugged her earphones into her ears and decided to look out the window and watch as the world passed her by. Clary could feel her eyes drifting closed and couldn't find the energy to fight them.

 _"What do you mean you're leaving?" Jon asked in an incredulous tone. Jace had asked if he could arrive early before band practice later that day. Jon had just assumed that he wanted to hang out like they usually did, but he never expected this._

 _"I got offered a deal in London. I'm going." Jace told him like it was the most obvious thing in the world._

 _"What about the band?"_

 _"We all know that the band isn't going anywhere. It was just for fun, this, this opportunity is real." his tone was becoming more and more condescending and it was getting on Jonathan's nerves. How could he not care about the life he'd built here. He was so willing to throw everything away, it was like nothing even mattered to him._

 _"What about Clary?" Jace had already made up his mind without even talking to any of his friends about it first. That should have told Jon that he didn't care about Clary, but he needed to hear him say the words._

 _"What about her? This is an amazing opportunity and I'm not about to give it up for a girl. I get to go back home." he answered, acting like he'd asked the dumbest question ever. That had been answer enough for Jon, Jace obviously didn't care about his sister enough to even consider staying._

 _"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jonathan asked. "You wanna quit the band? Fine, you're out of the band. You wanna abandon your friends? Alright, I'd say it was nice knowing you but it really wasn't. But don't you DARE treat my sister like that. You can't just go out with her for years and then throw her aside like your relationship meant nothing. You don't deserve Clary and she definitely doesn't deserve this shit. I've never met anyone who's so ungrateful for what they've got. I wish we'd all realised sooner what an asshole you really were so that we wouldn't have wasted so much time and energy on you."_

 _Jon's chest was heaving from breathing so heavily. It took everything he had to stop himself from launching at Jace. They had all wasted years of their lives on him and he acted as if it all meant nothing. He couldn't understand why Jace was acting like this._

 _Jace stood there glaring daggers at Jonathan while he did the same in return. "Get out." Jon told him. He'd stood there while Jace explained to him all about his offer, how he was going to move the very next day and how he wanted Jon to break the news to everyone else. Jon did nothing when he found out that he'd known for months and only decided to tell him now because he didn't think anyone needed to know. He had done nothing while Jace showed no signs of remorse whatsoever when telling him everything. "Get out." Jon repeated. "You obviously can't wait to leave so, get out."_

 _He watched as Jace marched through the room, right past him. He'd been friends with them all for years and threw it all away when he'd had no reason to do so. If only Jace had told them when he first got the offer, if only he'd felt a little remorse for leaving them all, if only he'd told them in a way that didn't make it seem like he never cared for any of them at all then maybe, maybe, they could still be friends. But there was no changing the past and the cards had fallen where they had. All they could do now was play the game the way it was set up and hope not to loose in the end. As Jon thought about Clary's relationship with the boy that had just walked out of their lives, he couldn't help but dread telling his sister the news. Little did he know that her tears wouldn't stop for days, and with every tear that escaped her eyes, his hatred for the boy that has caused them would grow._

Clary woke up when she felt the plane shift, they were starting to land. Clary wondered how the boy who had broken her heart was sitting next to her as if nothing ever happened. He'd almost ruined their band, no one really wanted to stay together after what had happened with Jace. His harsh words had caused most of them to loose hope in themselves but instead of breaking up they concluded that the best thing to do was have a fresh start. They renamed the band and began with all new songs. Ironically the loss of one of the most important members of the band had caused them to become more motivated than ever.


	2. Outsiders

_**I know this is a day early but I couldn't wait to post the next chapter. Thank you so much to those who have reviewed already, I really appreciate hearing your opinions. Please keep the reviews coming.**_

 _ **Just a heads up that while researching for this story I came across a video of a live show for Against the Current and I was so inspired by the monologue that the lead singer said that I chose to include it in my story. Other than that everything is my own work other than the characters that belong to Cassandra Clare.**_

 ** _Also, in order to try and be consistent I've tried to use music from the same band (i.e. Against The Current) throughout this story in order to show the kind of music Clary's band would play. Having said this though, there will be some songs that they perform that are from other artists. On the other hand, Jace will be performing songs from a variety of different artists throughout this story. I've put a lot of thought into he music in this story so I hope you take the time to listen to the songs and hopefully you'll like them as much as I do._**

 _ **There was a problem when I tried to upload this chapter because apparently in order to prevent song fics all of the paragraphs get grouped together. In order to try and separate them there is a slash, /, in order to make it easier to read. I'm sorry for the inconvenience but that's the only way I could separate them.**_

 ** _On with the story._**

* * *

 _SONGS:_

 _*Outsiders- Against the Current_

 _*This City- Ed Sheeran (Live at the Bedford)_

* * *

 _CONSISTENCY_

 _I asked for consistency and_

 _you consistently destroyed_

 _the best parts of me. I guess_

 _I should have been a bit_

 _clearer with what I was asking_ _for._

* * *

It didn't take them long to get from the airport to their tour buses. All together there were two busses, one for the band, Isabelle and Jace while the other was for their equipment, Jordan, Maia and Jace's stylist who would be meeting them later on.

Before Clary got a good chance to take everything in the boys had rushed onto the bus and were already claiming which beds were theirs. When Clary finally made her way onto the bus she saw that there were two sets of triple bunk beds. Jonathan and Alec had already placed themselves on the ones closest to the floor while Simon had chosen the bed above Jon. Knowing that Isabelle hated the top bunks Clary let her have the bed above Alec which only left Clary with one of the two top bunks. She walked over to the one above Isabelle and propped her stuff on top of it.

Before she realised what she'd just done Jace made his way onto the bus, examined the scene before him and then plopped his stuff on the top bunk above Simon. The one right opposite Clary's. She internally cursed herself for being so dumb. She could've taken the bed above Alec, but at the time she had been thinking about Isabelle. She forced herself to think about the fact that she liked the top bunk anyway and that she could just close the curtain if she wanted privacy. She refused to let Jace ruin any aspect of this trip.

By the time Jordan and Maia had made it onto the bus most of them had started to unpack their things. Jonathan being the laziest of the group dumped the entire contents of his suitcase onto his bed and then proceeded to sort through it while others like Simon and Clary tried to do it as neatly as possible. This was going to be their home for the foreseeable future, she wasn't about to go and make it a dump.

"Now that you've all had a chance to settle in I think now's the perfect time to explain what's gonna be happening." Jordan began.

"It's gonna take us around three hours to make it to the venue. We should get there around twelve o'clock and the show doesn't start until ten so you'll have plenty of time to do site seeing or whatever before we have sound check. Just make sure to be back around eight so that you have time to get ready and we can fix any problems if there are any." Maia explained to them all. "When the show's over you'll have some time with the fans before we get back on the busses and make our way to the next venue, which should take another three hours. It'll probably be pretty late by the time we get there so once we've checked into the hotel I recommend that you all get some rest. Any questions?"

Once Jordan and Maia made their way onto their own bus they started moving Clary wasn't exactly sure what to do. She was pretty tired having gotten up so early, but she already slept on the plane and didn't think she'd be able to get to sleep even if she tried. Now that they were on the bus, the tour felt more real than ever. Her nerves had finally caught up with her and she needed something to distract herself from the idea of having to perform in front of so many people. She decided to head to the back of the bus where there was a small room to relax with some couches and a tv. Unlike Clary, Simon and Alec chose to get some rest. That just left Isabelle, Jonathan and Jace. Isabelle was on her bunk on her phone. Clary wasn't exactly sure where Jon and Jace were, but if they were anywhere near each other it couldn't be good.

She exhaled a breath of relief when she opened the door to the back and found Jon watching a film. Jace must have been somewhere at the front of the bus. "Hey" Jon said.

"Hey. What're you watching?"

"Not sure, haven't really been paying attention." he told her before taking the remote and switching off the tv. "I can't actually believe this is happening to us. It just feels like any second now someone's gonna turn around and tell me it's just a big joke."

"I know how you feel." She didn't dare mention the fact that she though that Jace's presence made it some sort of sick joke aimed at her personally. The universe could be a cruel place. After a moment of silence Clary asked the first thing that came to her mind. "Are you scared?"

"About performing?" he asked, Clary nodded her head in response unable to speak through the lump in her throat. "A bit, no more than usual. What about you?"

"I'm petrified." When Jace left the band they had no one to fill in for him. Jonathan was the only one in the band that could sing but he preferred to concentrate on his instrument. Back then Clary wasn't even part of the band. She was just there for moral support. It's not that she didn't want to be part of the band, just that she suffered from severe stage fright and was terrified of performing. It was a shame too because she had an amazing singing voice. It took a while, but Jace's departure lead to Clary taking his place as lead singer in the band. Over time she became less and less afraid of performing until she felt more relaxed on stage than she did anywhere else.

"You'll be great. You always are." he replied taking her hand in his own and giving it a slight squeeze. In that moment a bit of her fear slipped away.

"Thanks."

"I'm always here for you Clare. Don't forget that."

"I know, thanks."

* * *

Clary peeked through the curtains to see a full crowd of people chanting. Up until that moment she thought they would be performing to an empty venue, but it had sold out. She hadn't realised exactly how popular the band had become in such a short period of time. Clary began to pace the room, forcing herself to take deep breaths. In… out… in… out… in-

Her nerves seemed to melt away and turn into rage at the sight of Jace smiling at her as he approached. "You nervous?"

"Nope." she lied, "You?"

"Cool as a cucumber. You know, I almost didn't believe it when I found out you'd be singing. I mean, from what I remember, you couldn't even look at a stage without trembling, let alone get on one and sing."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me."

"I look forwards to finding them out." Deciding not to rise to the bait she turned around and headed towards the wing of the stage.

When it was time for the band to go onstage she felt ready. Determined to prove to the blonde boy watching through the wings that he'd made a huge mistake when he chose his own career over her.

When she saw that Alec had taken his place behind the drum set and Simon and Jon had picked up their guitars she spoke into the mic.

"Hey guys. We are Divine Intervention," She had to stop in order to wait for the screams and shouts to die down a bit. "and we're so excited to be here. The first song we're going to sing is called Outsiders and there's a story behind it. So, who is an outsider? Well, who in this room has ever felt like they were on the outside looking in before?" She put her hand up and was surprised to see that most of the people in the room had done the same. "Have you ever felt like everyone around you somehow had their lives figured out? They knew what they were doing, where they were going, what their next move was and you were like 'I need to get through today'. Because I've felt like this before." She took the mic off the stand and began to walk around the stage as she spoke, addressing different parts of the audience.

"Have you ever felt like society has set these standards that have been set up for you to fail? Like they want you to fail. You just can't possibly beat them. Well anyone who's ever felt that, that's an outsider. But being an outsider isn't all bad, because on the outside there are no standards, there are no rules, there are no paths. You make your own paths, you make your own standards, you make your own rules.

"It's hard, it's not easy to be an outsider. Because on the outside people are gonna try to tear you down. They really are. Because you know what, if you're defying standards that everyone else is supporting then you are stronger than anyone else around you. You're better than them. You are doing what's true to you. You are being who you really are. So outsiders, outsiders are that who we really are. This is who we really are. We are outsiders." When she'd finished talking the music began to play.

/

 _Outside we're lonely but we are free_

 _We're misfits, rebels, we're creeps and freaks_

 _How come they've got it figured out_

 _While we're lost, waiting to be found_

 _Maybe we need something different now_

 _For every broken bone and every lie you've told_

 _Every time you're lost and you can't find home_

 _This is for the ones who always feel alone_

 _/_

She lost herself in the music much like she always did. Knowing the chorus was about to come up she stood on top of a small platform on the stage and sang her heart out.

/

 _We are outsiders_

 _Living inside a broken world_

 _We are outsiders_

 _And I know sometimes it can hurt_

 _But it gets better yeah we'll make it through_

 _We'll stay golden when we're black and blue_

 _We are outsiders_

 _But we're not hiding anymore_

 _This is who we really are_

 _/_

She got off the platform and began to sing to parts of the audience.

/

 _Inside they talk about all their plans_

 _Must be nice to have someone light your path_

 _But inside their hearts are breaking_

 _'Cause they don't know what they're missing_

 _Outside we're lonely but we are free_

 _For every broken bone and every lie you've told_

 _Every time you're lost and you can't find home_

 _This is for the ones who always feel alone_

 _/_

 _We are outsiders_

 _Living inside a broken world_

 _We are outsiders_

 _And I know sometimes it can hurt_

 _But it gets better yeah we'll make it through_

 _We'll stay golden when we're black and blue_

 _We are outsiders_

 _But we're not hiding anymore_

 _This is who we really are_

 _/_

She turned to the back to face Alec and saw that he was having the time of his life on the drums. Simon and Jon were pretty much the same. They sang into their microphones while they played their instruments with such ease.

/

 _For every broken bone and every lie you've told_

 _Every time you're lost and you can't find home_

 _This is for the ones who always feel alone_

 _/_

She held her mic out to the audience for them to sing the first line before continuing herself.

/

 _We are outsiders_

 _Living inside a broken world_

 _We are outsiders_

 _And I know sometimes it can hurt_

 _But it gets better yeah we'll make it through_

 _We'll stay golden when we're black and blue_

 _We are outsiders_

 _But we're not hiding anymore_

 _This is who we really are_

 _/_

"Thank you guys. That was amazing."

* * *

She told herself that she wouldn't watch his performance. But when the time came for him to go onstage she couldn't help but stand in the wings and watch. She wanted to see him perform again, she wanted to hear his voice as he sang. Clary hated the fact that she was too weak to do otherwise but she'd never had much willpower against her own heart.

"This first song is very special to me, it's about my home. I hope you like it."

He began to strum the guitar expertly, he'd improved since she last saw him. Before he only really knew a few chords, but to be fair that had been about five years ago.

 _/_

 _This city never sleeps_

 _I hear the people walk by when it's late_

 _Sirens bleed through my windowsill_

 _I can't close my eyes_

 _Don't control what I'm into_

 _This tower is alive_

 _The lights that blind keep me awake_

 _With my hood up and lace untied_

 _Sleep fills my mind_

 _Don't control what I'm into_

 _/_

 _London calls me a stranger_

 _A traveller_

 _This is now my home, my home_

 _I'm burning on the back street_

 _Stuck here sitting in the backseat_

 _I'm blazing on the street_

 _What I do isn't up to you_

 _And if the city never sleeps_

 _Then that makes two_

 _/_

When he sang there seemed to be a sadness that surrounded him. The song talked of not belonging much like Clary's had. Maybe he wasn't as standoffish as he seemed.

/

 _The pavement is my friend_

 _Hey, and it will take me where I need to go_

 _I find it trips me up_

 _And puts me down_

 _This is not what I'm used to_

 _The shop across the road_

 _Fulfils my needs and gives me company_

 _When I need it_

 _Voices speak through my walls_

 _I don't think I'm gonna make it_

 _Past tomorrow_

 _/_

 _London calls me a stranger_

 _A traveller_

 _This is now my home, my home_

 _I'm burning on the back street_

 _Stuck here sitting in the backseat_

 _I'm blazing on the street_

 _What I do isn't up to you_

 _And if the city never sleeps_

 _Then that makes two_

 _/_

 _And my lungs hurt_

 _And my ears bled_

 _With the sound of the city life_

 _Echoed in my head_

 _Do I need this to keep me alive?_

 _The traffic stops and starts_

 _But I need to move along_

 _/_

 _I'm from a city where the rain won't cease_

 _Pollution in the air matches that on the street_

 _The black smoke gets you head into a muddle, like_

 _Walking into elephant syringes in the puddle, like_

 _I was a country boy when I moved out_

 _Grew up too fast for my family to find out_

 _/_

 _Now I try to stop my music running into nosedives_

 _Can't resort to arrogance with white lies_

 _This city won't erase me_

 _But I can't help to see how this dark city changed me_

 _It's all the same scene, music is my life_

 _But now I try to fight whatever I need to hide from_

 _/_

 _North, South, East, West, London's my home now_

 _Knees weak, but we never slow down_

 _Now I start to do my music properly_

 _And stay from all the negative shit that will follow me_

 _/_

Clary couldn't help but think that the lyrics were his way of shouting out for help. He was trying to tell people that he wasn't what they thought he was. She felt guilty for believing him straight away all those years ago, for believing that he could be that heartless. Maybe he was just scared and didn't want to show it.

/

 _London calls me a stranger_

 _This is not my home_

 _I'm burning on the back street_

 _Stuck here sitting in the backseat_

 _I'm blazing on the street_

 _What I do isn't up to you_

 _And if the city never sleeps_

 _Then that makes two_

* * *

 _ **What did you think? Love it? Hate it? -M**_


	3. Reckless Hearts

_**This chapter is a little short but the next one will be extra long to make up for it.**_

* * *

 _I distanced myself_

 _to save myself._

* * *

Clary's mind was buzzing with thoughts. Her euphoria from having performed on stage had still not worn off but she felt conflicted about Jace. Part of her still hated him for the way he had left, but another part of her was confused. She wanted to know why he had done what he'd done. Wether it was because he was scared, or because he truly didn't care. Most of all she felt overwhelmed by everything.

She felt a wave of cool air wash over her as they walked out of the venue. Before long they were surrounded by screaming fans trying to reach them. Clary saw her friends each walk over to groups of people calling their names in order to sign some autographs. She quickly followed suit and walked towards where she thought she could hear her name being called.

By the time she got on the bus Clary felt like her legs were going to drop out from underneath her. The exhaustion that had been threatening her all day finally overcame her. She let her body take the lead, assuming that it'd want to find her bed and walked zombie-like through the narrow passageway.

"Shit." she cursed.

"What's wrong?" Alec asked. A queue had started to form behind Clary since there was even less space in this area of the bus.

"I don't know how to get up to my bunk." Clary told them, she could tell they were all as equally tired as her.

"Well can you please figure it out quickly. I want to sleep." Simon replied irritably. Knowing that she was running out of time before they all stampeded her to get to their own beds Clary tried to climb her way up but failed miserably. Her arm was just out of reach of her own bed. She got down and tried again with the same result. Her cheeks blushed with embarrassment.

Clary heard someone say "For fuck's sake" and before she could try again, she felt a pair of strong hands lift her up and gently place her on her bed. When she turned around she caught a glimpse of Jace's cocky smile before he turned to his own bed and climbed in with ease. Everyone else followed suit and were tucked up in bed soon after.

For all her efforts, sleep alluded Clary. She tossed and turned but nothing seemed to work. Her body begged for sleep but her mind refused. Lately she was lucky if she could find five minutes of peace, even her dreams seemed to be tortured with memories. Resigning herself to the fact that she wasn't going to get any sleep Clary tossed her blankets off of her and climbed out of her bunk as best she could. When her foot slipped from it's position she swung herself around to avoid kicking Simon in the face. This caused her to crash to the floor rather ungracefully. She swore internally and decided to practice getting up and down from her bunk another time.

Clary made herself a hot chocolate in the small kitchen at the front of the bus before making her way to the back where she could try and do something productive. When Clary opened the door to the back she had to concentrate all her energy on not spilling her drink after jumping at the sight of another person there.

"Jesus Christ" she whispered, trying to calm her heart. At the rate she was going Clary worried that soon she'd end up with one less limb.

"I didn't mean to wake you, I'm sorry." Suddenly Clary was aware of the guitar on Jace's lap. He must have been playing, how had she not noticed before?

"You didn't… I couldn't sleep." She didn't know what else to say. Her emotions were so conflicted and he wasn't offering up any additional information. Clary stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do with herself. "If you want some privacy I can go…" she trailed off not sure what she was trying to say.

"It's fine, I was just messing around anyway." Hesitantly she made her way over to the couch. Clary grabbed her laptop, more out of habit than anything and opened it up. She could hear Jace strumming lightly in the background as she stared at the blank screen. "How come you couldn't sleep?" she snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of his voice. He was looking at her now and the guitar had been pushed aside once again.

"Got a lot on my mind." She wasn't about to tell him that it was mostly because of him. "What about you?"

"I felt inspired." A heavy silence fell upon them, neither one knowing how to talk to the other. Clary knew that deep down she still cared about him, and she didn't want to be angry with him. But she still couldn't forgive the past no matter how hard she tried. Her heart had been shattered into a million pieces and it took her a long time to try and put them back together. She couldn't just forget something like that, it would stick with her for the rest of her life. "Clary?" he spoke her name softly like if he said it too loud it would shatter.

"Yeah." It felt natural to whisper, the silence hanging over their heads.

"I feel like… like I need to explain." When she thought he had stopped talking she opened her mouth to talk but closed it when he carried on. "I know you probably hate me. You should." Clary thought she heard him say 'I do' but he continued before she could really think about it. "This isn't an excuse, I know it isn't. You just need to know the truth." He took a deep breath, stealing himself for what he was about to say next. "The day I left… I didn't tell Jon the truth. I was a stupid ignorant child that was scared out of his mind. I thought that I could live without everyone, that I could make it on my own without anyone else. But that didn't mean that I didn't care about you or the band. You made me so happy, and at the time I didn't realise that you were the reason why.

"I told you that I didn't care because it was the only thing I could think of at the time. Leaving, it was so stupid. I've never regretted anything more in my life. In one day I had managed to loose everything that ever meant something to me. And I couldn't even try to get it back because I knew none of you would ever talk to me again after what I'd told Jon. So I lived with my mistake, I carried on going because I thought time would help me forget. It even worked for a while, most of the time I managed to forget about the life that I had thrown away. But then one day I'd remember and the pain of what I'd lost came rushing back.

"Then the day I saw you guys again, in your apartment, my heart almost stopped altogether. I didn't know that it was your band we were going to see. I was too caught up in my own thoughts to realise that I recognised the street we were on. When I walked in and everyone went crazy I didn't know what to do. Suddenly I reverted back to the little shit I was when I left.

"I've always cared about you, and I'm so sorry for the way I treated you back then. You're an amazing person Clary and you deserve better. Everyone's always known that, it just took me a little longer to realise. I'm not expecting you to forgive me, I just needed to tell you the truth." By the time he was finished he looked like a massive weight had been lifted off of his shoulders only to be replaced with another one. The confident mask he usually wore had disappeared and Clary could see the guilt and regret etched in every line of his face. She was speechless. Just when she thought she had him figured out he turned around and surprised her yet again.

She sat there staring at him with her mouth parted in surprise. Clary knew he was expecting some kind of answer but she couldn't think of anything to say. She had forgotten how to form a coherent sentence. No words seemed appropriate for the situation. Never in her entire life had she felt this stupid. Why couldn't she string a few words together?

After a while he bowed his head, accepting her silence as lingering hatred. He made to get up, "Stop!" she told him. "I just… I'm just overwhelmed." Jace nodded his head in understanding and carried on staring at her. "Thank you, for telling me the truth I mean. I appreciate it. I can't pretend like what you did didn't hurt because it did, but I don't hate you Jace. I've never wanted to hate you. Jonathan on the other hand…" Jace grimaced and she chuckled at his reaction, he knew Jon wouldn't give in so easily. "I think you might have to do some grovelling in order to get Jon to forgive you."

"I don't think even that will work. You saw him when I was at your apartment, he tried to rip my head off." They both laughed together. The awkwardness in the air seemed to evaporate and before long they were back to talking like they had all those years ago. Joking around as if they had never been apart. Clary could see in his eyes just how grateful he was that she'd given him a second chance. She just hoped that he wouldn't rip her heart out again.

* * *

 _ **Don't forget to tell me your thoughts :) -M**_


	4. Consequences

_SONGS:_

 _*CHEAP THRILLS - SIA - Played on a BICYCLE - KHS & Kina Grannis Cover_

 _*Water Under the Bridge- Adele (Against the Current cover)_

* * *

 _One smile, can start a friendship._

 _One word, can end a fight._

 _One look, can save a relationship._

 _One person can change your life._

* * *

When Clary first spotted the sparkly man she thought she'd been imagining things. Surely no one person could be this shinny. Once her eyes had adjusted though she was able to see a tall asian looking man dressed in bold and vibrant colours. His hair was gelled up and covered in glitter. His personality matched his appearance, in other words, he was very vibrant and confident. Clary immediately felt herself liking his bubbly personality, everything about him just shouted friendliness. Even his snarky comments made her laugh. Needless to say, Isabelle and Magnus, the sparkly man himself, had gotten on like a house on fire. He was in fact Jace's stylist and would be travelling with them for the duration of the tour.

Clary had to admit, she was liking this tour more and more with every passing second. To most people this would be a good thing, but for Clary, she couldn't help but dread the feeling because it meant that any second now something terrible was going to happen. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that she was just being paranoid, she couldn't shake the feeling. Of course, despite the fact that she had made up with Jace, everyone else was yet to utter two words to him that didn't include either an insult or a profanity. Most of the time it was quite amusing hearing the things her friends came up with, and it didn't really seem to bother Jace that much, but deep down she knew that he wanted to make a mends. Clary made it her own personal mission to get her friends to talk to Jace civilly in the least. After all, that was the first step in getting them to forgive him. She hadn't exactly forgiven him herself, but she knew that they should be civil towards each other if they were ever going to enjoy this trip. Maybe if everyone else saw her interacting with him they would follow her lead. With that thought in mind Clary formulated a plan in her head.

They were currently in the hotel lobby, waiting for Jordan and Maia to explain to them what they would be doing for the day. Everyone had drifted off into their own conversations, forming little groups in the lobby. Simon, Alec and Jon were sitting on a small couch talking while Isabelle and Magnus were each perched on a chair gushing over their shared love of fashion. Clary had decided to explore for a bit and had wondered around, observing the art on the walls of the hotel. She had to admit it was a beautiful place. The architecture was post modernist and the furniture made the place seem very cozy. As she made her way back to her group of friends, she couldn't help but notice Jace was sitting by himself on a couch. He was close enough to the group to not be mistaken for some lonely stranger, but far away enough as for everyone else to exclude him.

Clary felt a slight twinge in her heart for him. He'd obviously betrayed them all, but after five years she thought he had received all the punishment he deserved. She wasn't insane, Clary knew that he didn't deserve anything more, but she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and trust that he had changed. Making up her mind, she marched over to everyone and placed herself right next to Jace on the couch. She made sure to sit close enough as to show that she wasn't purposefully avoiding him like everyone else was. When Cary glanced over at Jace she saw him smile slightly in thanks. Everyone else seemed to halt their conversations, trying to puzzle together what she was doing. This was her chance to show them all that it was possible to interact with Jace without completely dismissing him for his past mistakes. A heavy silence had fallen upon the group and just when Clary was about to open her mouth to speak to Jace, Jordan and Maia marched over to the group and declared that they had to leave immediately for their next venue. They quickly got on the bus and rushed off.

Before she knew it Clary was standing back stage once again, waiting to perform. She hadn't had a chance to talk to Jace all day, between the bus ride and then being steered into the venue, Isabelle dragging her off to do hair and make-up and then sound checks. Every time she tried to talk to him, something was stopping her. After a while Clary started to get the sneaking suspicion that her friends were purposefully keeping her away from Jace. She understood that they were probably only trying to protect her, after all, they had all seen the effect his departure had had on her the first time. But Clary could take care of herself and had become quite good at it over the years. She did such a good job of taking care of herself in fact, that she even started taking care of others. Maybe this was everyone else's way of trying to thank her. Clary looked over to the clock and decided that she had just enough time to talk to Jace before she had to perform. Just as she was about head over to him Jordan stepped in her way. 'Seriously?' Clary thought to herself.

"We need to talk." Jordan said to her.

"Are you trying to break up with me Jordan?" she replied sarcastically.

"Haha, very funny. But seriously Clary, I need to talk to you about the band." Something in his voice made her shove away all jokes and become serious.

"What is it?"

"I don't want to worry you, but we haven't been selling as many tickets as I would have hoped. We need to do something that will get people's attention. Something that will make them realise how great you guys are and buy tickets for your shows." She racked her brain trying to think of something that could help them. Suddenly a lightbulb went off in her head.

"How much time do we have here before we have to go to Atlanta?"

"We leave straight away, why?"

"What about when we get there, how much time before we have to perform?" she asked with renewed hope.

"A day. We get there and then you perform the day after. What's this about Clary?"

"I think I have the perfect plan. It's something we were messing around with before you told us about the tour. We might be cutting it a bit close though." Clary saw the hesitation plastered across Jordan's face, "I'm sure we'll be fine. Trust me." With that she rushed off onto stage and began performing with a plan already forming in her head.

* * *

She could feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through her body. Clary loved the energy it filled her with, she felt like she could climb a tower and jump off the ledge all at the same time. This was the rush that she lived for every time she performed. With every step she took, her anxiousness grew, and she had to force herself not to break into a run. Slowly, she made her way among the bustling people. It felt strange carrying a bike alongside her, more than once she had seen people giving her strange looks. Clary tried her best to fit it in and blend into the crowd. Out of the corner of her eye she could see some familiar faces. Alec, Magnus and Isabel were sitting at a small cafe near by chatting to each other. Simon was sitting on a bench by a fountain reading a comic book. Jon was walking amongst the crowd, not really going anywhere, not that anyone was paying attention to him long enough to notice. Jace and Maia were standing by the side of a nearby store talking to each other, but every once in a while they glanced over to Clary, much like the rest of her friends. Lastly Jordan was pretending to film his surrounding using a small camera in his hand.

She was almost in the middle of the busy crowd when she saw Jon start to make his way over to her. Once she'd reached the centre, she paused for a second and then swung her leg over the side of the bike so that she was sitting on it. By this time, Jon had managed to make it over to her and crouched down before turning the pedal on the bike. Earlier on they had rigged the bike so that she could move the pedals without actually going anywhere. Jon then moved over to the break cable and started to strum a light beat.

Clary saw Simon put down his comic and head over to them, Alec quickly following suit. Alec pulled out a pair of drumsticks and crouched down by the side of the bike before using the frame to drum along to Jon's beat. Each of them were using the bike in a different way in order to make a rhythm that quickly turned into a song. By now a few people had notices the four of them and had turned to watch. Clary watched as Jordan turned the camera and started to record them. She looked over to her brother and smiled at him knowing what was coming next before she opened her mouth and began to sing.

 _/_

 _Come on, come on, turn the radio on_

 _It's Friday night and I won't be long_

 _Gotta do my hair, put my make up on_

 _It's Friday night and I won't be long_

 _/_

 _Till I hit the dance floor_

 _Hit the dance floor_

 _I got all I need_

 _No I ain't got cash_

 _I ain't got cash_

 _I got you baby_

 _/_

By now a whole crowd of people had gathered around them to watch. A lot of them had taken out their phones and started to record the performance. This is exactly what Clary had wanted, the more people that watched them, the more people would know who they were and buy tickets to go and watch them perform.

 _/_

 _Baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight_

 _Baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight_

 _/_

 _I don't need no money_

 _As long as I can feel the beat_

 _I don't need no money_

 _As long as I keep dancing_

 _/_

 _Come on, come on, turn the radio on_

 _It's Saturday and I won't be long_

 _Gotta paint my nails, put my high heels on_

 _It's Saturday and I won't be long_

 _/_

 _Till I hit the dance floor_

 _Hit the dance floor_

 _I got all I need_

 _No I ain't got cash_

 _I ain't got cash_

 _But I got you baby_

 _/_

People had started to sway along to the song and were clearly enjoying themselves. The same thing happened to Clary that happened every time that she performed. She felt the rush of energy surging through her from the crowd, spurring her to go on. She closed her eyes and tried to soak in her surroundings through her other senses.

/

 _Baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight_

 _Baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight_

 _/_

 _I don't need no money_

 _As long as I can feel the beat_

 _I don't need no money_

 _As long as I keep dancing_

 _/_

The sun was beating down on her skin. Cheers were already coming from the crowd, some clapping along to the beat, others cheering every once in a while. This was what performing was all about to Clary. With that thought she opened her eyes again and carried on singing her heart out.

 _/_

 _I don't need no money_

 _As long as I can feel the beat_

 _I don't need no money_

 _As long as I keep dancing_

 _/_

 _Oh, oh_

 _Baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight_

 _Baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight_

 _/_

 _I don't need no money_

 _As long as I can feel the beat_

 _I don't need no money_

 _As long as I keep dancing_

 _/_

When they all finished playing she quickly hopped off the bike and ran away from the crowd just like they had planned. Everyone else followed suit, Jon grabbing the bike before leaving, and Simon dropping a flier for their next performance. They all met up a the designated spot that they had agreed upon earlier. Clary arrived last as she had the shortest legs and could only run so fast. When she got there she could see everyone else was panting, but they all had similar expressions of joy on their faces.

"You guys were amazing!" Isabelle told them once she'd caught her breath. Clary wondered how Isabelle had managed to run from the crowd wearing the seven inch heels that she had on, not break her ankles and still make it there before her. Isabelle would forever be the queen of heels.

"She's right, it was incredible, the look on some people's faces…" Magnus trailed off but he didn't need to finish because they all knew what he was talking about.

"Did you get it all on film?" Clary asked Jordan, slightly struggling through her heavy breathing.

"Of course. This was a brilliant plan Clary, I'm sure it will work perfectly." They all murmured their agreement. "As soon as we get back to the bus I'll upload the video."

"Then what are we waiting for?" replied Simon sounding very eager.

"Alright, we need to split up in order not to draw too much attention to ourselves. We want to leave people wondering." Jordan told them. "We'll go in pairs. Simon and Isabelle you guys go that way." he told them pointing in one direction. They left without debate. "Alec and Magnus that way. Jon, you'll have to go by yourself because of the bike. It already draws enough attention as it is." He nodded his consent and headed off after Alec and Magnus. "Maia and I will go that way and you two go that way." Jordan finished addressing Clary and Jace before heading off with Maia.

Together they walked in silence, but not an awkward silence, the good kind. The kind of silence that gave you time to think and organise your thoughts. They continued that way for a while before Jace decided to talk to her. "You were brilliant back there." He looked over to her to make sure she'd heard him. "I never thought you'd be able get over your stage fright, but then again I seem to always underestimate you." Jace paused briefly, seeming to consider his own words. Clary wasn't sure what to say so she decided that silence was the best course. "How did you do it anyway? Get over your stage fright I mean."

"It was actually thanks to you." She told him, taking pleasure in the surprise on his face. Clary didn't really want to relive the past, but she'd have to do it eventually. "When you left, the band basically broke up. No one wanted to perform and when they tried they didn't sound quite right because no one had the motivation to play properly. Suddenly one day Simon convinced me to sing for the band. I don't really know why I did it, maybe it's because I figured that we'd only ever be performing in a garage, never really in front of other people. Those hopes were shattered when we got our first gig." She paused, smiling to herself at the memory. "I was terrified to say the least, but then I got on that stage and all of my fears melted away. Ever since then I've relished the feeling of every performance. It's kind of like my addiction." She looked over to Jace and saw what she thought was pride on his face but it was tinged with sadness at the same time. "Let's not talk about that anymore." Clary decided to steer the conversation away from that topic as it was obviously causing them both to remember painful memories. "What happened when you left."

"At first I was ecstatic to go back home." Clary didn't miss the fact that Jace had said 'back'. Sometimes she forgot that he was originally from London. She had grown so used to his accent over the years that to her he didn't even have one anymore. "When I got there though, I realised that it wasn't really my home anymore. Part of me had stayed in New York and I was split between two places. It wasn't all bad though, I went to live with my cousin, his fiancee and his best friend. Seeing them together was great, any idiot could have seen how much love there was between the three of them. They were nothing but welcoming, yet I couldn't help the small part of me that resented them. Every time I saw them I was reminded of the life I had thrown away. It was hard, I knew I was being an asshole to them but I couldn't help it. Yet despite how rude and horrible I was, they were nothing but kind, except for Will. It was Will that finally got me to snap out of my self pity. One day he'd come up to me and screamed at me about how rude I was being to his fiancee and best friend. He'd told me a story about his past that made me see that it was never too late to fix your own mistakes. After that I threw myself into my work and here I am now."

"What did your cousin tell you that made you change your mind?" Clary asked him. She hadn't met Jace's cousins, but anyone that could convince Jace, someone almost as stubborn as her, to change, was someone she wanted to meet.

"That's a story for another time." Jace told her just as they rounded the corner and saw the tour buses. Before she could reply she was once again swept away by her friends.

* * *

After spending the entirety of the previous day preparing for their flash mob of sorts, the band hadn't had a chance to explore the city before their performance. Once they got back to the buses they were once again rushed to the venue, went through sound checks and had their hair, make-up and clothing sorted. Now that Clary finally had a chance to breathe and organise her thoughts she realised that she preferred it when she didn't have time to think. Now her mind was contemplating the set list for the night.

After all of the drama with Jace leaving the band and Clary becoming the new lead singer, they had mutually decided to start over from scratch. This meant that they couldn't use any of the songs from before and had to come up with some new ones. Clary took the opportunity and dove into all of her own emotions in order to write songs for the band. But now that she had to perform them in front of the one person she wished would never hear them she wished she had never done it. Every one of Clary's songs revealed her deepest thoughts and emotions. It didn't bother her that most people heard them because they'd just think that the words were meaningless, but for the people closest to Clary it was easy to read between the lines. Jace had known her better than anybody at one point in her life and now he got to hear the songs that spoke of her heartbreak and pain, her hopes and her dreams.

Clary groaned and buried her head in her hands. The song she was supposed to perform next she'd written just after the break-up. Knowing that thinking about it any further would do nothing but stress her out she decided to do something else instead. Clary got up from the chair in her changing room and headed outside in search for someone to talk to. She always had a bad habit of drifting off into her own head which caused her to get into some undesirable situations and this just so happened to be one of them. Clary felt a sharp tug at her arm and yelped as she was pulled into a small storage room. At first it was too dark to see anything but then someone turned on a light. Isabelle stood in front of her in all her glory.

"What the hell are you doing?" Isabelle demanded.

"I could ask you the same thing." Clary retorted, indicating her arm which was still being grasped by Isabelle. She immediately let go of Clary but kept her stony glare on the small red head.

"Seriously Clary, what are you thinking?"

"I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about Izzy, and if you're gonna keep talking cryptically then I'm leaving." Clary reached for the door handle but was stopped by Isabelle stepping in her way.

"I meant what are you doing with Jace? Did you forget what he did to the band? To you?"

"You know I haven't."

"Then why are you hanging around with him and being nice. You know he'll just turn around and stab you in the back the first chance he gets."

"It's been five years Iz, how do you know he hasn't changed? And what right do you get to judge people for their past mistakes. Have you even talked to him recently, if you had, you'd know that he's not the same person he was back then."

"Maybe that's what he wants you to think Clary. We all fell for his game once, I just don't want you to get hurt again. I remember what it was like the first time, we were worried sick about you. When Jace abandoned us and left Jon to tell everyone, when you would wake up screaming his name in the middle of the night, it tore Jon apart inside. We were all worried, but he took it the hardest. He stayed up all night with you to make sure you were alright. It wasn't just you that suffered Clary, Jon lost his best friend and then he had to put his own emotions aside in order to watch you go through all the heartache and pain that he was trying to suppress. I'm not telling you this to upset you, I'm saying it in the hopes that you'll understand that people like Jace, don't deserve forgiveness, no matter how much you think he's changed."

"I don't believe that and even if I did, I'm sick of living in the past, festering in my own hatred. Believe me when I tell you that I understand how the band feels about Jace, but I know in my heart that everyone deserves a second chance and I believe Jace when he tells me that he's sorry for what he did. Maybe you should give him a chance." With those parting words Clary left the small room and headed for the stage. All her nerves seemed to slip away and now all she wanted to do was release the build up of emotions inside her by performing. Luckily for her the band was just about to go on.

"Where were you?" Jon asked her as she approached them. "We almost had to send out a search party."

"It's fine, I'm here now." Clary replied, clearly showing that she didn't want to talk about it. But Jon being Jon refused to let the matter go.

"Did Jace do something?" he growled.

"No. Just drop it." Jonathan didn't reply, but he gave her a look telling her that this conversation wasn't over. Clary struggled to understand how in a matter of minutes her life had become infinitely more complicated than it had previously been. Why couldn't everything be simple? She pushed her thoughts aside as she approached the mic, resigned to ponder the matter later.

 _/_

 _If you're not the one for me_

 _Then how come I can bring you to your knees?_

 _If you're not the one for me_

 _Why do I hate the idea of being free?_

 _And if I'm not the one for you_

 _You've gotta stop holding me the way you do_

 _Oh, honey, if I'm not the one for you_

 _Why have we been through what we have been through?_

 _/_

 _It's so cold out here in your wilderness_

 _I want you to be my keeper_

 _But not if you are so reckless_

 _/_

She sang with everything she had inside her. As Clary sang, she closed her eyes and saw a stream of different images pass behind her eyes. She saw herself and Jace when they were younger, laughing together. Then she saw the band practicing and messing around like they'd done back when things were simpler. Clary saw her own heartbreak, the pain in the eyes of all of her friends as the crushing realisation that they'd been abandoned sunk in.

 _/_

 _If you're gonna let me down, let me down gently_

 _Don't pretend that you don't want me_

 _Our love ain't water under the bridge_

 _If you're gonna let me down, let me down gently_

 _Don't pretend that you don't want me_

 _Our love ain't water under the bridge_

 _Say that our love ain't water under the bridge_

 _/_

She saw every success and every failure that had happened to them in the past five years. Then she saw a pair of golden eyes staring at her; they were older than she'd remembered, and filled with more pain and regret than she thought possible. It physically hurt her to look at them, but Clary couldn't help but stare in wonder.

 _/_

 _What are you waiting for?_

 _You never seem to make it through the door_

 _And who are you hiding from?_

 _It ain't no life to live like you're on the run_

 _Have I ever asked for much?_

 _The only thing that I want is your love_

 _/_

Clary opened her eyes back to the crowd and watched as they all sang along with her, absorbing every emotion that she was releasing into the song. They were connected through the music and the feeling was euphoric. She could unload all of her troubles here and it was the best feeling in the world.

 _/_

 _If you're gonna let me down, let me down gently_

 _Don't pretend that you don't want me_

 _Our love ain't water under the bridge_

 _If you're gonna let me down, let me down gently_

 _Don't pretend that you don't want me_

 _Our love ain't water under the bridge_

 _Say that our love ain't water under the bridge_

 _/_

 _It's so cold in your wilderness_

 _I want you to be my keeper_

 _But not if you are so reckless_

 _/_

 _If you're gonna let me down, let me down gently_

 _Don't pretend that you don't want me_

 _Our love ain't water under the bridge_

 _If you're gonna let me down, let me down gently_

 _Don't pretend that you don't want me_

 _Our love ain't water under the bridge_

 _/_

 _Say it ain't so, say it ain't so_

 _Say it ain't so, say it ain't so_

 _Say it ain't so, say it ain't so_

 _Say it ain't so, say it ain't so_

 _Say that our love ain't water under the bridge_

 _Say it ain't so, say it ain't so_

 _Say it ain't so, say it ain't so_

 _Say it ain't so, say it ain't so_

 _Say it ain't so, say it ain't so_

 _Say that our love ain't water under the bridge_

 _Say that our love ain't water under the bridge_

* * *

 _ **I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. As a way of thanks, I have decided that everyone that reviews will get a small preview of the next chapter. Until next time -M**_


	5. Regrets & Broken Promises

**_THIS IS IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ!_**

 ** _Basically I wanted to say that I'm really confused about this story. So far I've uploaded 4 chapters (this one being the 5th) and I haven't received much feedback. I've worked really hard on this story as well as improving my writing and I would really like to know whether it is paying off or not. Any sort of feedback would be really appreciated, even if it is negative (just don't go out of your way to tell me that you hate my story, because that's not feedback). I'm just having a hard time understanding why my other story had such a great response after only the first chapter while this one is struggling to get anything._**

 ** _As I promised in the beginning I will finish this story no matter what, I just want to know whether it's worth my time doing all of this if I'm not going to be able to improve. I love writing but there isn't much point if my writing is bad and no one tells me._**

 ** _Sorry for the rant, I just needed to make my feelings known. I hope you enjoy the chapter. -M_**

* * *

SONGS:

*All Too Well- Taylor Swift (Against the Current cover)

* * *

 _If you are alone,_

 _I'll be your shadow_

 _If you want to cry,_

 _I'll be your shoulder_

 _If you are not happy_

 _I'll be your smile_

 _If you need me,_

 _I'll always be there_

* * *

"I'm bored!" Isabelle moaned from her position on the couch. Everyone was sitting in the back of the bus and at first had been engaged in their own tasks, but after a while they grew bored and now had resorted to staring into space. Clary had decided to try and manoeuvred herself on the couch into a more interesting position seeing as she had nothing better to do. She was now sat so that her legs were hanging over the back of the couch while her head hung upside down. At first it had been amusing watching everyone upside down, but after a while Clary had started to feel all the blood rushing to her head. That's when she'd realised that she had no clue how to get out of her position and instead of making a fool of herself or admitting to everyone that she was stuck, Clary decided to stay how she was. Unfortunately she had now concluded that all the blood in her head was making her loopy because she couldn't help but giggle at the stupidest of things, including Isabelle's declaration of boredom, inciting a few odd looks from her friends.

"What do you want us to do about it Isabelle?" Jon stated bluntly ignoring his sisters' weirdness. They had all grown increasingly more irritable as the bus journey went. No one wanted to spend endless hours confined in a small vehicle, especially since they were stuck with someone that most of them despised. "It's not like there's much to do on this bus anyway."

"We're almost there." Simon explained, trying to release some of the tension in the room.

"Yeah, but it's gonna be hours until you guys perform." Isabelle continued. "And I'm sick of site seeing. Ugh!"

"Well what do you suggest we do then?" Jon responded.

Before she could respond though Alec interrupted, "Not shopping."

"Fine." Izzy admitted grumpily, "Well, what if we go see a movie or something." There was a short pause while everyone considered her suggestion.

"That's actually not a bad idea." Simon mused.

"Thanks," she replied sarcastically, "I do have one every once in a while." If looks could kill, Simon would be dead ten times over by the way Izzy was glaring at him. Knowing it was best to keep quiet Simon gulped audibly and sunk lower into his seat. Clary watched the exchange between the two of them, struggling to keep her giggles from escaping. A small chuckle escaped her lips causing everyone to stare at her again.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jon asked her incredulously.

"Nothing" she squeaked unconvincingly, which was quickly followed by a few more giggles. Clary watched as her friends continued to give her strange looks that said 'you're crazy'. She was snapped out of her thought by the sound of a small chuckle. Everyone's heads turned towards the sound only to find Jace struggling to contain his own laughter. He was watching Clary with thinly veiled amusement.

"If you've got something to say spit it out." Jon snapped at Jace. Clary say Jace flinch and the happy look on his face was immediately replaced with guilt and sadness. Rather than replying he just sat quietly, obviously not wanting to anger Jon anymore than he already had. Clary knew that he was punishing himself, he thought that he deserved everything he was getting. Even if he did deserve it, Clary couldn't just sit by and watch while it happened. "Didn't think so. I can't wait to get off this bus and get away from you for a few hours." Jon stated.

Clary watched the way Jace seemed to fold in on himself in defeat. Much like Clary, Jace had thought that they would all be going to the cinema, but according to Jon, Jace wasn't welcome anywhere near them. Clary struggled to get up and protest before unceremoniously felling to the floor with a bang.

"Ow" she grumbled while rubbing her head. All the attention had turned back to Clary and she'd suddenly forgotten what she'd been about to say. Clary's eyes scanned the room, trying to remember. When her eyes met Jace's she suddenly remember but just as she was about to open her mouth to speak she saw Jace discretely shake his head. He didn't want her to defend him of fight his battles. He'd gotten himself into this mess all by himself and now he wanted to get out of it without anyone's help. Clary thought it was stupid, but she reluctantly agreed to let him do things his way.

* * *

Clary watched with disgust as Simon proceeded to dump a pack of chocolate covered nuts into his salty popcorn. She'd never understand how Simon always managed to combine the strangest flavour combinations and never got ill. Maybe that was how he could eat Isabelle's cooking without having to throw up. Or maybe it was the other way around, Isabelle's cooking had somehow destroyed his taste buds and now he had to combine strange flavours in order to taste anything at all. She made a mental note to ask him later when Izzy wasn't around to overhear them.

They were about halfway through the movie when Clary decided that she needed to get some air. She hadn't been fully concentrating on the film and could barely understand what was going on so she wasn't really worried she was gonna miss anything. Clary mumbled a quick excuse to Simon who was sitting next to her before slipping out of the theatre. She made it a few paces out the door before she felt a hand on her arm spinning her around.

"You alright?" Jon asked with a concerned look on his face.

"I'm fine. I just needed some air that's all." Clary explained, hoping to avoid any further questions.

"You sure?" She nodded her head in response. "In that case, we never got to finish our conversation the other day."

"Not again Jon."

"Yes again Clary. What's been going on with you? You've been acting strange ever since we started the tour. Is it because of Jace?"

"I already told you it's nothing. Why do you keep insisting that Jace has something to do with it anyway? Maybe I've moved on, maybe I've forgiven him."

"I know that's not true because my sister is not dumb enough to fall for his tricks twice in a lifetime."

"Excuse me?" Clary asked incredulously. "Are you kidding me Jonathan?"

"No I'm not Clary. You know dam well what he did, you above all people should be the last to forgive that lying son of a-"

"Don't!"

"Don't what Clary? Don't tell you the truth? Don't state the obvious? Tell me, what is it that I shouldn't be doing here? Should I stop protecting you? Stop doing my job as your big brother?"

"You should stop treating Jace like a criminal! He made a mistake, we all make mistakes. You shouldn't be so quick to judge people. I love you Jon but even you have your faults."

"The difference is that I'd never do anything like what _he_ did. He broke your heart Clary and then left me to pick up the pieces. He abandoned all of his friends. He destroyed everything and then didn't even have the balls to stick around for the aftermath." Tears had started to run down Clary's cheeks and she angrily wiped them away.

"I don't care anymore! I'm sick of holding on to all of this anger! I'm sick of being scared all the time that someone else is gonna leave! I don't want to feel like this anymore and if forgiving him is what it takes then that's what I'll do. It's what I've already done. I don't know if I'll end up regretting it, but if I do, then it'll be my burden to bear."

"No it won't. It will be us that have to pick up the pieces again and I'm telling you Clary, if you do this, I won't be there. I refuse to stand by while he breaks your heart again." All the life seemed to drain out of Jonathan in that moment. "I could barely take it the first time and I don't think I'd make it through a second." He turned around and walked away leaving Clary standing there staring after him with tears streaking down her face.

* * *

The next few days passed by agonisingly slowly. At first Clary had been heartbroken that her brother had abandoned her but then her pain had turned into anger. He knew how much she was scared of being abandoned yet he had gone and done it to her knowing full well what it would do to her. She didn't care that he was trying o protect her, she was a full grown woman and could make her own choices in life. Clary didn't need anyone else trying to take care of her.

Everyone else had caught on that something had happened at the movie but no one dared to say anything for fear of sparking a major argument. It had been a silent agreement to just let things simmer down and hopefully they would eventually resolve themselves. But knowing how stubborn Clary and Jon both were, they rest of the group had very little hope that the situation would right itself quickly.

The siblings hand't spoken a word to each other and were barely seen in the same room together, the only exception being when they performed on stage. Even then though they were only there long enough to go on stage and perform before rushing off in opposite directions. Clary was perfectly happy avoiding her brother for as long as she had too, of course she missed him, but this time she knew in her heart that what she was doing was right and no one could talk her out of it.

When the they were stuck on the bus though it became trickier to try and avoid someone when there were only so many places you could go. Jon usually hung out at the front of the bus near the kitchen so Clary had taken to the back. She was currently scrolling through her social media while lounging on the comfy sofa. Alec and Magnus had also been there talking but had gone to bed a while ago. Clary tore her eyes away from her phone to look at the clock only to realise that it was around two in the morning. She cursed internally, knowing that she had to be up early to prepare for a show and made her way to the bunks. Just as she walked into that section of the bus her eyes met another vey familiar pair of green eyes. They both stood there silently before he extended his arm out in a gesture that said 'go ahead'. She inclined her head slightly in thanks and walked over to the bunks.

Clary prayed to whatever gods existed that she'd be able to make it up to her bed on the first attempt. She'd vastly improved from the first night but that didn't mean that she didn't still struggle to climb up to her bed. Apparently the gods weren't listening because she fell bak to the floor unsuccessfully. Out of the corner of her eye she say Jon try to step towards her and help. Clary's head snapped to the side, "Don't!" she whispered harshly trying not to wake anyone else up. She could tell that he was hurt but she didn't care. It had been his choice to walk away from her, to abandon her and now he had to live with the consequences.

Finally she managed to scramble onto her bunk and laid down. When she reached to close the curtain that would give her some privacy to sleep she noticed that Jace's curtain was open and he was silently looking at her. Clary's hand fell back to her side and she adjusted herself slightly so that she was comfortable. They both lay in their bunks staring at each other, neither one saying a word.

* * *

"Thank you." Clary told the crowd after waiting for their cheers to die down. "You guys have been amazing." The crowd roared to life again, amongst the screams Clary could briefly make out shouts saying 'Don't go' and 'One more'. It brought a smile to her face knowing that they couldn't get enough of their music. "Okay, okay. I give in," Clary turned to address her band mates while still speaking into the mic, "do you guys think you have another one in you?"

"Hell yeah!" Simon shouted into his mic. He was met with more screaming from the crowd and a few 'I love you's'.

"This last song is called All Too Well. It's very special because it's about someone close to me. When I wrote it we weren't really talking, but now a lot of things have changed and I'm glad. Sometimes people are put into our lives for a reason and it's not always what you think it will be at first. Most of the time the reason isn't obvious and we can all get lost along the way trying to figure it out. The important thing is though that we come back and remember that everyone deserves a second chance."

/

 _I walked through the door with you, the air was cold,_

 _But something 'bout it felt like home somehow and I_

 _Left my scarf there at your sister's house,_

 _And you still got it in your drawer even now._

 _/_

Clary thought back to the all of the memories that went into this song and instead of feeling sad like she usually did, they brought a smile to her face. She'd managed to let go of all the pain and heartbreak and she could finally move on with her life.

/

 _Oh, your sweet disposition and my wide-eyed gaze._

 _We're singing in the car, getting lost upstate._

 _The Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place,_

 _And I can picture it after all these days._

 _/_

 _And I know it's long gone,_

 _And that magic's not here no more,_

 _And I might be okay,_

 _But I'm not fine at all._

 _/_

 _'Cause there we are again on that little town street._

 _You almost ran the red 'cause you were looking over me._

 _Wind in my hair, I was there, I remember it all too well._

 _/_

 _Photo album on the counter, your cheeks were turning red._

 _You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-size bed_

 _And your mother's telling stories about you on a tee ball team_

 _You tell me 'bout your past, thinking your future was me._

 _/_

 _And I know it's long gone_

 _And there was nothing else I could do_

 _And I forget about you long enough_

 _To forget why I needed to_

 _/_

 _'Cause there we are again in the middle of the night._

 _We dance around the kitchen in the refrigerator light_

 _Down the stairs, I was there, I remember it all too well, yeah._

 _/_

She smiled at the memory of her and Jace dancing in her kitchen with only the light of the refrigerator to illuminate them. Clary could still remember thinking that she'd never been happier than she was right then, in that moment. Jace had given her so many happy memories, it felt stupid to throw them all away when she had a chance to make many more, even if her brother didn't approve. Clary looked over to the wings and saw Jace smiling at her. She returned the gesture as she finished off the song, never moving her eyes away from his.

/

 _Maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much,_

 _And maybe this thing was a masterpiece 'til you tore it all up._

 _Running scared, I was there, I remember it all too well._

 _/_

 _Hey, you call me up again just to break me like a promise._

 _So casually cruel in the name of being honest._

 _I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here_

 _'Cause I remember it all, all, all too well._

 _/_

"Thank you." Clary said "We are Divine Intervention and it's been an honour to play for you guys!" The band made their way off stage and before Clary knew what was going on she was enveloped in a hug from Jace. At first she was too shocked to respond but then she lifted her arms and wrapped them around him.

"I'm proud of you" he whispered in her ear before letting her go and taking a step back. Before she could respond Jon approached her and placed a hand on her arm to get her attention.

"Can we talk?" He pleaded. Clary nodded her head and walked with Jon to a more private area. Once they'd made it a safe distance away she turned to face him. He was the one who wanted to talk and she would be damned if she ended up giving in first. "I'm sorry." Jon said, his eyes never leaving the floor. She could tell he was nervous because he refused to look at her and he was fidgeting, something that he rarely did. Instead of answering Clary stood there in silence, willing him to go on. She wasn't about to let him get away with talking to her that way without a proper apology. "I'm sorry I said those things. I'm sorry I abandoned you after promising you I would never leave. But most of all I'm sorry for not trusting in you. You're old enough to make your own decisions without your big brother standing in the way. Do you think you could you find it in your heart to forgive your stupid brother?"

He finally looked up at her and a small smirk appeared on his lips. She tried to stop it but her own lips twitched up into a smile. Clary noticed some light return to his eyes and he seemed to perk up a little. "Only," she paused seeing some of his hope slip away, it made her sad knowing that he really wanted her to forgive him, but she had to do this, "if you give Jace a second chance." His smile was instantly wiped off of his face.

"Clary-" he began to protest.

"No buts, these are my conditions Jon. You need to trust me on this." She pleaded.

"Fine." Clary flung her arms around him and clung to Jon with all of her strength. "I'm so going to regret this."


	6. Balancing Act

**_A huge thank you to_** _ **ReadingIsForNerds and**_ **_bestalex_** ** _59 **for** taking the time to give me feedback on the story and my writing, you don't understand how much it means to me._**

 _ **ReadingIsForNerds, in response to your review I would like to clear a few things up and just explain my thought process because it might have not come across that way in my writing. I totally get what you mean, but you need to take into consideration the fact that it's been about 5 years since everything happened so Clary has had plenty of time to get over her anger. Not to mention the fact that I wanted to show how kind and forgiving she is, yes, Jace did hurt her a lot, but in order to find peace sometimes we need to forgive the mistakes of others. It's unhealthy to hold a grudge, especially for that long.**_

 ** _-M_**

* * *

SONGS:

*Recovery- James Arthur

* * *

 _I love my eyes when you look into them_  
 _I love my name when you say it_  
 _I love my heart when you touch it_  
 _I love my life when you are in it_

* * *

Isabelle had dragged Clary and Simon shopping stating that they needed new clothes to wear on stage instead of their old clothes they'd worn a thousand times already. Alec and Magnus had disappeared without a trace, lately it seemed that it was happening more and more with those two. Jon made a mental note to talk to Alec about it later. But first he had to do something that he'd been dreading ever since the moment the words had escaped his lips. With everyone else gone, it was now or never.

Jon made his way to the back of the bus, knowing that he'd be there like he usually was. Just before Jon opened the door he took a deep breath and reminded himself that he was doing this for Clary. He needed to show her that he trusted her and if that meant going through with this then it's what he'd do. When he opened the door Jon noticed that Jace was strumming some notes on his guitar while gently humming something to himself. Jon wondered why he hadn't heard him before but pushed that thought aside knowing that he had something more important to think about.

When Jace noticed that he wasn't alone he immediately stopped strumming and looked up. Jon noticed that the hope in Jace's eyes disappeared when he looked at Jon and only to be replaced with pain. Jace pushed his guitar to the side and made to stand up, "I can go if you wan-" he started before Jon interrupted him.

"Actually," Jace halted in his movements, his eyes growing wide from hearing Jon talk to him without malice in his voice, "I need to talk to you."

"Sure." Jace replied sitting back down, though this time his posture was more rigid and tense. Jon walked a few paces into the room as if to sit, before thinking better of it and starting to pace. There was a long pause while Jace waited for Jon to start talking. The only problem was that he had no idea where to start, he'd spent years imagining what he'd say if he ever saw Jace again but he'd already gotten to say all of those things the moment Jace had walked into their apartment. Jon had never thought in a million years he'd be having this conversation with Jace.

"I hate you." Jon stated as he stopped pacing to face the other boy. Jace hung his head in shame and mumbled something that sounded a lot like 'I know'. "I've hated you ever since you forced me to break my sister's heart for you. Whenever I see your face my blood boils and I want nothing more than to rip your head off." It felt good to get everything off of his chest and with every word the weight that had been pushing down on his lungs lifted a little bit more. "You deserve to live the rest of you life alone, never having anyone to love you." Jon watched as Jace seemed to deflate right in front of him, becoming the shell of the man he once knew. If he didn't know any better Jon would have thought that Jace was repeating the words 'I know' over and over again to himself. "But," Jace's head snapped up to look at Jon, "for some reason Clary thinks it's a good idea to give you a second chance. Personally I think she's crazy, hell, I've always known she's crazy ever since she was born." Both boys chuckled slightly at the statement before the tense atmosphere returned once again. "But that's what makes her one of the best people I've ever known. She always see's the good in people, no matter what they've done. So if you do anything, and I mean anything to hurt her again, I suggest you start running because I will hunt you down and make you pay." Jon got some satisfaction from the audible gulp coming from Jace.

"Does this mean…" Jace drifted off mid-sentence, not knowing how to finish.

"That we can move on?" Jon finished to which Jace nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." A small grateful smile appeared on Jace's face which Jon returned before extending his hand out for Jace to shake.

* * *

"Cloudy with a chance of meatballs!" Clary screamed. Simon tapped his nose and pointed at clary in the universal charades gesture that signified that she'd guessed the answer.

"Fray and Lewis for the win." Simon stated cockily.

"I swear you two have some weird telepathic link or something." Alec told the rest of them. Since they'd all be stuck on the bus for the rest of the night they'd decided it would be a good idea to play charades. Everyone had gathered in the back of the bus to play the game, everyone but Jace that is. He was usually left to his own accord, and this time was no different. Maybe with one exception, as he watched his old friends play he wasn't filled with regret like he usually was, but rather amusement. He'd tried to concentrate on reading his book but watching the antics was a much better pass time, not to mention very distracting. He chuckled silently from his place in the corner as Clary got up to have her go. She was waving her arms around like a lunatic and jumping up and down every once in a while.

"Iron Man." The words slipped from his mouth before he could stop himself. Everyone looked over to him as Clary gave him the sign saying he'd guessed it. There was an awkward moment of silence before Jon passed him the phone with the app that they were using for suggestions.

"Your turn."

Jace wasn't sure what to do, he sat there staring at all of their faces. Some were hesitant like Alec while others were accepting like Clary. After deciding he had nothing to loose he happily took the phone and got to his feet. Jace looked down at the screen and smiled at the words that were staring back at him. He placed the phone face down on a table so that no once could see before starting.

"Movie!" Clary shouted.

"2 words!" continued Simon. Jace placed his fingers together and made a gun shape while pretending to shoot stuff. His ears were bombarded with names and titles, some of which made him laugh. He faced the side, held his hands up to his chest and flicked his hair out of his eyes while trying to look dangerous.

"James Bond!" Jace's eyes darted to Jon who had been the one to shout it.

"Casino Royale!" Isabelle shouted. Jace made the gesture for 'you guessed it' and pointed at Isabelle.

"No way, I guessed James Bond" Jon argued.

"But he's not a movie, he's just the main character." She retorted.

"Just the main character?!" Jon stood up to face Isabelle. "He is not just the main character. He is the entire franchise. I can't believe you just said that." It went on like that for a while everyone taking sides. Jace felt happier than he'd felt in a long time. He was nowhere near gaining their trust back yet, but this was a step in the right direction. It felt like a breath of fresh air after spending so long under water.

* * *

"This next song is called Recovery. I wrote it when I was going through something really though, It was my fault though and I've learned my lesson. I hope you like it." Jace told the crowd.

/

 _I don't want to play this game no more_

 _I don't wanna play it_

 _I don't want to stay 'round here no more_

 _I don't wanna stay here_

 _/_

 _Like rain on a Monday morning_

 _Like pain that just keeps on going on_

 _/_

 _Look at all the hate they keep on showing_

 _I don't want to see that_

 _Look at all the stones they keep on throwing_

 _I don't want to feel that_

 _/_

 _Like sun that will keep on burning_

 _I used to be so discerning, oh_

 _/_

 _In my recovery_

 _I'm a soldier at war_

 _I have broken down walls_

 _I defined_

 _I designed_

 _My recovery_

 _/_

 _In the sound of the sea_

 _In the oceans of me_

 _I defined_

 _I designed_

 _My recovery_

 _/_

The pain in his voice was so raw it touched Clary's heart. She knew what is felt like to be broken, torn to pieces, but she hadn't thought that he'd felt the same way. Clary understood that there was no way to go back to the past a change anything, but that didn't stop her from wanting to. They could both be spared so much pain and heartbreak.

/

 _Keep soaring_

 _Keep song-writing_

 _Keep soaring_

 _Keep song-writing_

 _My recovery, my recovery_

 _/_

 _And I can hear the choirs keep on singing_

 _Tell me what they're saying_

 _And I can hear the phone_

 _It keeps on ringing_

 _I don't want to answer_

 _/_

 _I know that I used to listen_

 _And I know I've become dismissive_

 _/_

 _In my recovery_

 _I'm a soldier at war_

 _I have broken down walls_

 _I defined_

 _I designed_

 _My recovery_

 _/_

 _In the sound of the sea_

 _In the oceans of me_

 _I defined_

 _I designed_

 _My recovery_

 _/_

But maybe it was better that everything had turned out the way it had, it allowed them to grow into better people and it also helped them to truly get to know themselves, especially through their music. Their pain was the vey thing that drove them to where they were now. Without it, Clary didn't think she'd be able to connect to her fans the way she did.

/

 _Keep soaring_

 _Keep song-writing_

 _Keep soaring_

 _Keep song-writing_

 _My recovery, my recovery_

 _My recovery_

 _/_

 _In my recovery_

 _I'm a soldier at war_

 _I have broken down walls_

 _I defined_

 _I designed_

 _My recovery_

 _/_

 _In the sound of the sea_

 _In the oceans of me_

 _I defined_

 _I designed_

 _My recovery_

 _/_

As Clary watched Jace sing his heart out she was reminded why she'd fallen for him all those years ago. In front of her stood a strong, caring man who'd burn down the world to save the people he cared about, even if that meant he himself would burn in the flames.

/

 _Keep soaring_

 _Keep song-writing_

 _Keep soaring_

 _Keep song-writing_

 _My recovery, my recovery_

 _/_

 _Keep soaring_

 _Keep song-writing_

 _Keep soaring_

 _Keep song-writing_

 _My recovery_

 _/_

 _Keep soaring_

 _Keep song-writing_

* * *

Maia handed everyone their tickets together with a stern warning not to get into any trouble. Though her words were caring, they carried an accusatory tone, directed specifically at Jace. He just shrugged and gave her a lopsided smile which basically stated 'I can't promise anything'. Clary rolled her eyes at his antics but soon brushed it off so that she could concentrate on her overwhelming excitement. She'd never been to a baseball game even though she'd wanted to go most of her life. She didn't even really understand the rules, but that didn't stop her from wanting to go and watch. It was more the experience that intrigued her above everything else. No one else seemed to be as excited as her but she didn't let that stop her from enjoying it all the same.

Clary practically had to drag everyone into the stadium because according to her they were walking way too slow. Most of her friends were used to her strange behaviour and brushed it off as normal, but Jace found amusement in the way her eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas day. He loved how she could be so knowledgeable, mature and strong while still having the heart of a child. Clary was definitely one in a million, there was no one else quite like her.

Slowly but surely they found their way to their seats which were towards the very back. Jordan had told them that they would have to sit at the back due to their growing popularity for risk of being noticed. At first it had bothered Clary but now that she was here she liked the way they had a small area all to themselves. It made the experience all the more memorable to be able to spend it with just her friends. Now that everyone had stopped treating Jace like a criminal they were finally able to have some fun. The once stale atmosphere that always seemed to hang around had dispersed and left behind a fresh start.

Clary was practically bouncing in her seat, to a stranger it looked as if she was desperate for the toilet, but to her friends she looked ecstatic. Even as the game began her excitement never once faded. Jace found it much more interesting to watch Clary than the actual game. The way she sat at the edge of her seat as if she were ready to jump up and join in at any second. The way her eyes never once left the field. The way her smile did nothing but grow impossibly wider as the game went on.

After a while Jace started to notice Clary's stomach grumbling. It amazed him how he'd managed to hear it over the sound of the crowd. Even Clary herself seemed to be snapped out of her daze as she looked down at her stomach as if it had just betrayed her. Gently, she placed a hand over her stomach, willing the hunger to go away, but nothing seemed to work as her smile quickly turned into a small frown. Jace watched as a tiny crinkle appeared between her eyebrows and he wanted nothing more than to smooth it out with his fingers. Instead, he did the next best thing he could think of at the time.

"Hey," he spoke successfully gaining the red head's attentions, "what do you want to eat. I'm buying."

"You don't have to do that. I'm fine, seriously." As if on cue her stomach grumbled again and Clary glared daggers at it.

"I insist." Jace told her, trying to hide the small laugh that was threatening to make it's way out of his mouth. He loved the way that she struggled to tear herself away from something that she clearly enjoyed.

"Fine." Clary conceded. "But I'm coming with." As much as he tried to argue against her joining him, her stubbornness got in the way. It's not that Jace didn't want Clary to go with him, spending time with her was one of his favourite pass times. He just wished that he could do this for her and let her enjoy the game, it was the least he could do after everything he'd put her through. Jace knew that Clary had told him that she'd forgiven him, but that didn't stop the guilt that welled up inside his stomach every time he thought about it.

Slowly they made their way through the crowd to the closest food stall. They ordered their food and watched as the woman who had taken their order walked away. "So um…" Jace started, but then realised he had no idea what he was going to say. "Are you enjoying the game?" Idiot, he thought to himself. Jace never got tongue tied around girls, at least he never got tongue tied around any other girls. Clary always seemed to make him nervous in a way that no other person ever did. Ever since they'd been young, Jace had always known that Clary was special. He'd wanted to be there for her, to protect her since before they had even been going out. He just never thought how easy it would be for him to forget that, to forget what a wonderful and amazing person she was. Clary always put everyone else's needs before her own. She was selfless and kind and brave and everything people usually aspired to be.

"Definitely." she replied enthusiastically.

"Do you even know the rules?" he asked her with a smirk. A small blush made it's way onto her cheeks and she looked down in embarrassment.

"Not really." Clary mumbled. Before he could stop himself his hand had reached up and he'd taken her chin between his thumb and forefinger, gently forcing her to look at him. Those massive green eyes stared up at him innocently. She looked like something from a cartoon with her big eyes and button nose. Jace knew better, he knew that this innocent creature could very well protect herself, but that didn't stop him from wanting to protect her anyway.

"You don't have to be ashamed." He spoke gently, "I think it's cute." They stayed there for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. So close that he could feel her warm breath as it caressed his cheek, before finally they broke apart.

The woman returned with their food and they made their way back to their friends, only to find Jonathan and Simon arguing about something. "I caught it!" Jon shouted at Simon.

"But it was headed at me!" Simon replied just as angrily.

"You should be thanking me, if I hadn't caught it your face would be as flat as a pancake!" Jonathan retorted smugly. They continued to argue, completely ignoring their friends around them along with the strange looks they were receiving from passers by.

"What's going on?" Clary asked no one in particular.

"Jonathan caught a ball that was headed straight for Simon's face and now they're arguing about who gets to keep it." Isabelle replied in a bored tone, never once taking her eyes off of filing her nails.

"I think it's time to go." Jordan informed them all. Jace couldn't help but feel disappointed for Clary, he knew how much she'd wanted to stay until the end. Even though she tried to smile and tell everyone she didn't mind leaving early, he could tell that she was definitely sad about missing out.


	7. Plucking Heart Strings

SONGS:

*Whisper- Ernie Halter (Alternate Version)

* * *

 _Underface- Underneath my outside face, there's a face that none can see, a little less smiley, a little less sure, but a whole lot more like me._

* * *

Once again Clary found herself alone in the back of the bus while everyone else slept. It seemed to be a routine now. Everyday she'd go to bed, lie awake for hours and then eventually give up and head towards the back of the bus to either watch a movie, or write some music. This time however was slightly different as she found herself staring at the object in her hands. She turned the hat over in her hands and examined every inch of it, not really looking but rather getting lost in her own thoughts. For a while now she had tried to deny the feelings threatening to emerge, she wouldn't allow herself to get lost in the moment again, not after what happened last time. But this small cap had caused her heart to flutter and her stomach to twist into knots.

Jace's words echoed in her head from when he'd handed it over to her. Earlier he'd waited until they were alone before pulling it out and telling her that he'd bought her the hat as a way of making up for her having to miss the end of the baseball game. She'd taken it in her delicate hands and examined the simplicity of it. It was a blue baseball cap with the logo of one of the teams on it. Clary knew that it must have cost him quite a bit of money to buy a souvenir at the game and the fact that he'd bought it for her made her feel something she'd been trying to deny for so long. Why was it that every time she thought she knew Jace he'd turn around and surprise her? No matter how hard she tried to understand him, he'd always be just out of her reach.

At the sound of the door to the back of the bus opening Clary shoved the hat away, not wanting to share the knowledge of it's existence with anyone else just yet. Jon's head peeked out from behind the door and when his eyes settled on Clary a small smile appeared on his face. Silently, he made his way over to her and sat down on the couch next to Clary.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked. Clary just nodded her head before placing it on her brother's shoulder. She really enjoyed moments like this when it was just the two of them alone. It made her feel like she could breathe again after having to hold herself together for so long. They stayed like that for a while, sitting in silence, just basking the other one's presence. "Clare?"

"Hmmm" she hummed in response, finally starting to feel the effects of her lack of sleep.

"I'm proud of you, you know that right?" At the sound of Jon's voice Clary lifted her head off of his shoulder and looked him in the eyes.

"Of course." she replied simply.

"I just," Jonathan began, "I don't want you to ever think that I'm not proud of who you've become. Everything you've faced, time and time again you've not only succeeded, but you've conquered." He nudged his shoulder slightly with hers causing them both to smile. "I know you think that no one really pays attention to your lyrics but I do Clare. I know how much pain you harbour inside, and I want you to know that you can talk to me." Clary looked up at her brother and saw that he seemed to be looking straight into her soul.

"I know." She spoke softly, not wanting to break the heavy silence that had encompassed the two. He seemed to accept her answer because he turned his gaze away and returned to staring into space. "Jon?" He turned to look back at her. "Thanks"

His face broke into a large and caring smile, "Any time sis." With that Clary placed her head back onto her brother's shoulder and softly fell asleep.

* * *

The sound of the crowd cheering echoed around the venue as the band made their way off stage. As usual Clary was the first to exit the stage and so found herself face to face with a certain blond.

"You guys were great." He told her matter of factly, though Clary noticed that he appeared to look slightly queasy.

"Thanks." she replied almost robotically, "are you alright?" without noticing she had placed one of her hands on his arm. Quickly she took it away, but not before feeling the all too familiar butterflies in her stomach.

"Yeah. No. Sort of." Clary had to stifle a giggle at his indecisiveness, not wanting to laugh at him when he seemed to be worried about something. "It's just I told Maia that I wanted to sing a certain song so she set it up but now I'm wishing I hadn't." Clary understood what Jace was feeling, on more than one occasion she had worried about singing one of her songs for fear of it being too personal. Sometimes certain songs were meant to stay unheard.

"Is it too late to change your mind?" she asked, trying to help him out. Instead of answering he just nodded his head as he began to pace the room. "I'm sure it will be great and if you get nervous you can do what I do, close your eyes and pretend like you're alone." Jace stopped pacing and turned to face Clary face on, she couldn't help but notice that he seemed to have made so sort of silent decision and now looked a lot more confident than he did five minutes ago.

"Thanks, I'll try that." He gave her a weak smile which she gladly returned.

"Any time." Clary made to walk away but was stopped by Jace's hand on her arm.

"Clary, I just want you to know that I mean every word." Before she could ask him what he meant Jace had let go of her arm and walked out onto the stage. Swiftly he picked up his guitar and sat on the stool that had been placed in front of a mic for him. He acknowledged the fans and waited for them to calm down enough before he started strumming the guitar.

/

 _How do I ask her to come back to me_

 _After I told her goodbye_

 _How do I love her so desperately_

 _And for so long I pushed her aside_

 _How do I walk back into her life_

 _When I'm the one who walked out on her_

 _How do I ask her, to see me again_

 _I told her that I wasn't sure, that we could be friends_

/

 _God can you whisper, in her ear_

 _Anywhere on the way to her car_

 _Before the wind blows her too far_

 _Away from my heart_

 _Can you whisper in her ear_

 _Anytime while she's lying on her bed_

 _Can you tell her everything that I've said_

 _Everything that I've said_

 _Oh Ou_

/

As Jace sang, Clary understood what he was trying to say when he told her that he meant every word. It was Jace's way of apologising to her. He hadn't been nervous about showing other people this song, he had been nervous to show her this song.

/

 _How do I try and explain everything_

 _Nothing I said seems to fit_

 _Oh no_

 _How do I get her to pick up the phone_

 _Baby how did we ever get like this_

 _Tell me what kind of man, lets love slips away_

 _And leave such a good thing behind_

 _I'm hold'n my hands pressed_

 _Praying to find, a way to fill in this hole that I have inside_

/

 _God can you whisper, in her ear_

 _Anywhere on the way to her car_

 _Before the wind blows her too far_

 _Away from my heart_

 _Can you whisper in her ear_

 _Anytime while she's lying on her bed_

 _Can you tell her everything that I've said_

 _Everything that I've said_

 _Yeeeeahh_

/

During his entire performance Jace hadn't looked over at Clary no matter how much she wished he would.

/

 _OOh_

 _Ouuuuuuuu, Can you whisper_

 _OOOOOuuu, How can you talk to_

 _her_

 _Can you talk to her, Ooowouu Yeeah, Can you,_

 _Whisper_

 _Can you, Whisper, OuowuOWow Hmmmm Heeey_

/

Clary watched as Jace finished the song, but instead of thanking the audience of even moving, he just sat there with his head bowed as the audience screamed and clapped for him. After what seemed like forever he finally looked in her direction and their eyes met. Unable to just stand there under his gaze Clary did the only thing she could, she walked away.

* * *

"This is incredible" Jon's voice echoed throughout the entire empty theatre exciting a few laughs from everyone else. They had just arrived at their latest venue only to find out that the entire theatre had sold out, and after having seen the size of the place they couldn't believe it. They had walked onto the stage with their eyes wide from astonishment.

"Close your mouth Simon, before something flies in it." Everyone turned to look at Simon who had been practically drooling at the sight of the place before turning to give Isabelle a half hearted glare. It was obvious that he could never really be annoyed with her.

"Let's go and check out back stage." Jon told them. While everyone else made their way off the stage Clary remained where she was. She needed some time just by herself to think about everything that had happened in the last few weeks. Carefully she made her way over to the piano on stage and sat down at the bench. Clary hadn't intended to play anything but once she was there she couldn't help it. Her fingers pressed on the keys almost unwillingly and much to her surprise it was one of the songs that she had been working on recently.

Much to her frustration though this song wasn't finished because she couldn't manage to get past a certain part. No matter how hard she tried to come up with lyrics, everything just sounded wring to her. Rather than dwelling on the problem, Clary decided to just play and hopefully something would come to her. Knowing that everyone had disappeared, Clary openly sang the lyrics that she had come up with so far. When the part that had no lyrics came she decided to just keep playing without singing. By the time she'd finished the song Clary felt a little bit lighter than she had when she began even if she hadn't managed to make any progress. She sat in silence before the sound of footsteps alerted her to someone else's presence. Clary turned in her seat to find Jace walking towards her.

"You not coming?" he asked indicating the back of the stage.

"I didn't really feel like exploring." she explained, not wanting to elaborate. Luckily he accepted this as her answer and just continued to walk until he stopped right in the middle of the stage.

"It's incredible isn't it?" he asked her as he looked at the hundreds of empty seats surrounding them.

"Yeah, the theatre's amazing." Clary replied.

"The theatre's great, but I was referring to how our lives have changed. I never would have guessed that _this_ is where I'd end up."

"I guess you're right. I mean, a lot of things have happened that I never even dreamed of." Jace turned around and their eyes met. Clary thought that it was odd how she could just be in a room with Jace and neither of them would have to talk but they'd each know what the other was thinking. It was like they didn't really feel the need for words sometimes because the silence already spoke enough for them.

Clary had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that Jace had moved until he was right front of her. She craned her neck and looked up into his golden eyes.

"Dance with me." said Jace as he extended his hand out to her.

"Have you gone insane?" she asked incredulously.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy myself in the meantime." He replied with a smirk, "Dance with me Clary."

"Usually you require music to dance." Despite her attempts to deny him, she could feel herself giving in and she knew that Jace was aware of it.

"You're a musician Clary, use your imagination." With that he took her hand in his and guided her into the centre of the stage where he proceeded to place both her hands around his neck before putting his own on her waist. Together they swayed in silence as they stared into each other's eyes. "Do you remember when we were at your house and I was having a sleepover with Jon. It was the night of that major storm, I couldn't sleep so I got up to get a glass of water and found you sitting in the kitchen alone. We ended up dancing just like this using the light of the refrigerator." He paused to chuckle at the memory. Clary couldn't help but smile as she too remembered that night. "I remember how peaceful I felt in that moment, even though there was thunder loud enough to shake the entire house, and lightning would illuminate the room every few seconds. You were trembling because you were wearing your pyjama shorts and a t-shirt. I remember holding you close, I told you it was because I was trying to warm you up, but I just wanted to have you close to me."

As Jace talked Clary could feel them getting closer, her stomach was in knots and her heart was racing. She knew she should probably let go of him and step away but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Clary was so sick of letting her fear get the better of her, so when Jace leaned even closer to her, instead of backing away, she too got closer. By now their faces were so close that she could feel his warm breath on her skin.

Just as their lips were about to meet they were brought out of their little bubble by a loud squeal, causing them both to jump apart. Before she had the chance to feel disappointed Isabelle was running up to her excitedly.

"Guys!" Isabelle called, causing the rest of the band to appear on stage, effectively ruining Clary and Jace's private moment. "Look at this!" she spoke as she indicated her phone. Jon took the phone from Isabelle and began to read.

"For those of you who haven't heard of the band Divine Intervention, I have one simple question, where the hell have you been? The answer must be under a rock because this band has gone from being a group of teenagers, to an incredible array of spectacular young adults. Though the band was already mildly successful before it's tour this summer, they have now become so much more. Together the members of Divine Intervention have won the hearts of millions with their passionate and insightful music taking them straight to the top. Bass player Simon Lewis has been said to be the living embodiment of 'geek chic' as he's constantly sporting some sort of gamer t-shirt while still looking totally cool. Fans have fallen in love with his nerdy style and fun-loving personality though there are many rumours going around about him being a taken man. In fact, his so called 'girlfriend' is supposedly Isabelle Lightwood, stylist to no other than the band itself."

Everyone turned to look between Isabelle and Simon. For years it had been obvious that the two liked each other, but they had never explicitly come out as a couple so the rest of the group had let them be in the hopes that they would one day build the courage to admit their feelings for each other. Clary's hopes skyrocketed as she watched Simon's face go a red as a tomato while Isabelle avoided looking anyone in the eyes.

"I knew it!" Jon exclaimed, having come to the same conclusion as Clary.

"You knew nothing." Clary retorted.

"True, but I had my suspicions." he replied.

"Oh for god's sake," exclaimed Isabelle, obviously having had enough scrutiny. She snatched the phone off of Jon before she continued reading. "Isabelle's brother on the other hand, Alexander Lightwood, or Alec as he prefers, plays drums for the band. His reputation contrasts greatly to that of Simon Lewis as he has the mysterious silent type down to a tee. His trademark blue eyes and dark hair make him irresistible to the ladies, it's just a shame that he doesn't play for that team. However Alec's sexuality only enhances his attractiveness as he seems to be just out of reach for many of his fans. Though there are more than enough possible suitors for Alec to choose from, he seems to be content on his own, or maybe, he just hasn't found 'the one' quite yet.

"Talking of heartthrobs, we move on to Jonathan Fray, who plays guitar for the band, and also seems to sing on the odd occasion as well. Normally what artists lack in talent they make up for in confidence, but in this case Jonathan has it all. Not only does he have the talent but the looks as well. Watch out ladies, because Jonathan Fray is a heartbreaker if I ever saw one.

"Well it seems the band is not lacking in the hot guys category, but that's not all they have as their lead singe, Clarissa Fray- sister to Jonathan Fray- is drop dead gorgeous. She can not only sing, but with her vibrant red hair and dazzling green eyes, that girl has guys in every direction drooling over her. A word of warning though, I wouldn't mess with Clarissa as her brother is rumoured to be a tad overprotective and will kick anyone's ass if they mess with his little sister." Everyone laughed at that knowing full well how far Jon was willing to go to protect Clary.

"Together the band has a great dynamic and sound, but that's not all. For those of you who don't already know, Divine Intervention kicked off their tour a short while ago, but they were't alone. Joining them was the one and only Jace Herondale. That man has the looks of a god and the voice of an angel. And if that's not proof enough that the boy has a guardian angel, he's also British. Girls seem to be just throwing themselves at him but much like Alec he doesn't seem to be interested in any of them. Perhaps they bat for the same team, or maybe he just has his eye on someone special. I guess we'll just have to wait and see, keep your fingers crossed ladies."


	8. Taking A Chance

SONGS:

*Youngblood- Jem and the Holograms

* * *

 _So many people "aren't ready" until you walk away._

 _-Alex Elle_

* * *

After reading that article everyone seemed to be in a very good mood, they spent the rest of the time they had before the concert, gloating, comparing their own reviews with others and even making fun of each other. In other words they just messed around and laughed, it really seemed to bring them together.

Eventually it was time for them to go back stage and get ready before they had to perform. Like usual Izzy tried to dress Clary in something extreme while Clary protested until eventually they came to a compromise. By now Isabelle was aware that Clary would never wear what she wanted her too, but it was more about the tradition of it than anything. As always the band lined up to go onstage, each one of them going through their usual routine. Alec made sure he had his drumsticks, Simon chose which pick he was gonna use and Jon, well Jon had a bad habit of checking behind the curtain which on more than one occasion had caused the fans to see him and go insane. Clary was sure that sometimes he tried to be seen because he liked the attention but that was her brother and she loved him anyway.

Just before she went on stage Clary looked over to Jace who gave her an encouraging smile like he always did. The only difference this time was that she no longer denied the fact that his smile gave her butterflies or made her heart skip a beat. Instead she returned his smile and thought about how they had almost kissed earlier in the day, before making her way on stage.

/

 _Who's got the heart of a hunter?_

 _Pounding like thunder_

 _Prowling the night_

 _Hot like an Indian summer_

 _Beat of a drummer_

 _Coming alive_

/

 _If you got game, boy, you can pass go_

 _We can go fast or we can go slow_

 _We can get high or we can get low_

 _But there ain't no rules tonight_

/

 _If you got young blood, live to party_

 _Red-hot, feeling naughty_

 _Get loose, go grab somebody_

 _(Woah-oh-oh, oh-woah)_

 _If you got young blood, this is our time_

 _Hands up, touch the skyline_

 _Tonight, yeah, I'ma get mine_

 _(Woah-oh-oh, oh-woah)_

/

 _If you got young blood, blood, blood, blood_

 _Young blood, blood, blood_

 _If you got young blood, blood, blood, blood_

 _Young blood, blood, blood, blood (woah-oh-oh, oh-woah)_

/

 _Who's got the eye of the tiger?_

 _If you a fighter_

 _If you got soul_

 _Who wants to walk on the wire?_

 _Dance in the fire_

 _Never get old_

/

 _If you got game, boy, you can pass go_

 _We can go fast or we can go slow_

 _We can get high or we can get low_

 _(We can love like fools tonight)_

 _/_

 _If you got young blood, live to party_

 _Red-hot, feeling naughty_

 _Get loose, go grab somebody_

 _(Woah-oh-oh, oh-woah)_

 _If you got young blood, this is our time_

 _Hands up, touch the skyline_

 _Tonight, yeah, I'ma get mine_

 _(Woah-oh-oh, oh-woah)_

 _/_

All of a sudden the lights in the theatre had gone out engulfing them all in darkness. The music stopped and the crowd began to murmur, unsure of what was going on. Clary turned to her other band members, hoping they would know what to do, but they just returned her confused looks with some of their own. She started to panic, unsure of what to do. Clary tried looking off stage to see if Jordan or Maia knew what to do but they too looked to be unsure. She was about to look away when she saw Jace watching her and all of a sudden an idea came to her. Clary made her way to the front of the stage.

"Hey!" she shouted to the audience, unable to use her mic. Everyone seemed to quiet down and pay her their full attention. "We need your help." Clary turned to look at her friends- who all seemed to be confused as to where she was going with her speech- before turning back to the audience. "Do you guys think you could use your phones to light up the stage for us?"Almost immediately people started to take out their phones and use the flashlight to illuminate Clary and her friends. "Perfect, thanks. Now I need you to make a beat." In order to demonstrate she started to clap her hands together to the rhythm she wanted. Quickly people started following and Clary noticed that her friends had caught on to what she was doing.

"Stamp your feet!" Alec instructed as he demonstrated what he meant. Clary saw out of the corner of her eyes her brother picking up an acoustic guitar and she smiled at him. She started to sing once again and Jon joined in with the guitar, playing the tune of the song that they had just been performing before the power went out.

/

 _If you got young blood, live to party_

 _Red-hot, feeling naughty_

 _Get loose, go grab somebody_

 _(Woah-oh-oh, oh-woah)_

 _If you got young blood, this is our time_

 _Hands up, touch the skyline_

 _Tonight, yeah, I'ma get mine_

 _(Woah-oh-oh, oh-woah)_

/

To Clary's utter amazement the audience even joined in and started singing with her.

/

 _If you got young blood, blood, blood, blood_

 _Young blood, blood, blood, blood_

 _Young blood, blood, blood, blood (woah-oh-oh, oh-woah)_

 _If you got young blood, blood, blood, blood_

 _Young blood, blood, blood, blood_

 _If you got young blood, blood, blood, blood (woah-oh-oh, oh-woah)_

/

When they finished they audience erupted into applause and shouts. Clary felt a wave of euphoria wash over her. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her from the back and turned around to see that Jon had enveloped her in a hug. Before long Simon and Alec had joined in as well. She couldn't help but laugh from relief and pure joy. Once they had all let go of her, the band made their way off stage.

As soon as she saw Jace smiling at her from off stage, she couldn't help but run up to him, taking his face in her hands and pulling his lips down to her own. At first he was too shocked to move but after a second he melted into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Clary. The rest of the world seemed to disappear in that moment and it was only her and Jace. She had forgotten how he tasted, and now that she was finally kissing him again it all came rushing back to her. Every Sunday afternoon that they spent together, every date they ever had, every inside joke that they shared. All of it.

The pair broke apart, only when they absolutely couldn't stand going without oxygen any longer. Rather than moving away from each other though, they stayed pressed together with their foreheads leaning against each other.

"I've been wanting to kiss you for so long." Jace whispered to her, eliciting a smile from Clary. Only when they heard someone clearing their throat did they acknowledge that they weren't alone. Slowly they detached themselves from each other and took a step in opposite directions. When Clary turned to look at who had cleared their throat she was met with the faces of Isabelle, Jon, Alec and Simon all lined up and with their arms crossed staring at her and Jace. Any other time she would have laughed at the scene her friends were making.

"You had better not hurt her again, or else you'll have me to deal with." Izzy threatened. Clary had to stifle a laugh when she heard Jace audibly gulp. Isabelle could be very threatening when she wanted to be, especially as she had a habit of wearing seven inch heels that looked like they could kill.

"And me." Joined in Simon, slightly less threatening than Isabelle had been. Alec nodded his head in consent, joining in with the united front. Everyone looked to Jon expectantly, waiting for his take on the situation. He seemed to pause for a moment, considering his next words very carefully before he spoke.

"I've already made it perfectly where I stand." He seemed to look directly at Jace when he spoke as if Jace would understand on a deeper level than the rest of them. "I stand by my previous words, and I'm sure that I don't have to remind you about them."

"Hey Jace, I need to-" Everyone turned their heads to see that Maia had suddenly stopped in her tracks, obviously having noticed the scene unfolding before her. "Oh, um. Jace, can I talk to you?" After a moments hesitation he agreed, making sure to brush his arm gently with Clary's as he passed her and made his way over to Maia. At that, the rest of them seemed to disperse except for Simon and Clary.

"You alright Fray?" he asked her, his tone mostly humorous, yet Clary could hear the hint of seriousness in it.

"Never been better." Simon had always been like Clary's second brother. Of course her friends were all like family to her, but Simon and her shared a special relationship. They enjoyed the same movies and comics among other things. Whenever Clary needed someone to cheer her up Simon was always the first person she thought of. Now that she thought about it, she shared a special kind of relationship with each of her friends.

Isabelle was her best friend, she'd help her with fashion advice- though it was not always appreciated-, they'd have sleepovers together and Isabelle was never afraid speak her mind. It was one of the things Clary loved most about her.

Although Clary and Alec never really spent that much time together, when they did, it was always special to Clary. Alec was very wise, sometimes so much so, Clary thought he had an old soul trapped in a young body. He never jumped to conclusions, or let his emotions cloud his judgement. The only downside was that Alec had a tendency to be shy and not show his true colours to people that he didn't know too well.

Clary treasured each and every one of her friends, she knew that they'd always be there for her no matter what and she was more than willing to do the same for them. Any time one of them needed her, she'd drop whatever she would be doing and run to their rescue, no matter the cost.

"Just," Clary was snapped out of her thoughts by Simon talking to her once again, "be careful, alright?"

"Always." She gave him a small smile before he walked away and went to join Isabelle who was talking animatedly to Magnus, probably about some new fashion idea that she'd come up with. Looking around, Clary saw that Jace and Maia were still talking so she decided to see if there was anything interesting going on. As she got closer she noticed that Jace had been standing there with his eyes wide and a smile making it's way across his face.

"Hey Clary." Maia acknowledged her. "I was just telling Jace about the latest show I managed to book for him. Don't worry, it won't interfere with the tour, it's more of a side thing."

"Oh cool," Clary replied, genuinely interested. "Which venue is it?"

"This is the best part, it's at the Victoria Secret fashion show." Maia told her.

"Oh really?" Clary asked, suddenly she felt very confused as to her relationship status with Jace. Were they dating or were they just friends that kissed on the odd occasion. She looked over to him and saw just how excited he was to perform at the show. Clary hoped that it was more the prospect of performing that excited him, not the fact that there would be models flouncing around in underwear everywhere you looked. Just then she felt Jace's hand in hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"Maia, do you mind giving us a minute." Jace asked politely, the other girl nodded her head before walking off. Jace turned to face Clary and placed his other hand against her cheek affectionately. "I know we haven't exactly had a chance to talk about us." He began to explain. "I just want you to know that you're the only girl for me Clary. If you'll have me back, I'll make sure you know exactly how much you mean to me every day until you decide otherwise."

"And the fashion show?"

"If it makes you uncomfortable, I won't do it." he replied confidently. She could tell that he meant every word he was saying, the thought made her smile.

"It's a great opportunity, you should do it." Clary told him.

"You sure?" he asked her and she could see the nervousness in his eyes.

"As long as you keep your hands to yourself, I think I can be alright with it." She teased.

"Deal." With that he bought his other hand up to her face and gently pulled her towards him so that he could place a soft kiss on her lips. "Though I can't promise the models won't be all over me, after all, I am stunningly attractive." he joked. She pulled away from him and slapped him arm playfully. "Ow! Not five minutes being my girlfriend again and you're already injuring me."

"Girlfriend?" she asked with her eyebrows raised and her arms crossed.

In return he just gave her his classic smirk, "I don't just go around kissing every pretty girl I come across." As if to prove his point he pulled her back to him and kissed her once more quickly. "Is that a yes, to being my girlfriend I mean?"

"Just shut up and kiss me properly you idiot." Clary told him pulling his lips back down to hers one more time.


	9. Working On Me

SONGS:

*When You Love Someone- James TW

*I Wanna Get Better- Bleachers (Against the Current cover feat. The Ready Set)

* * *

 _I'm not perfect. I'll annoy you,_

 _make fun of you, say stupid things,_

 _but you'll never find someone who_

 _loves you as much as I do._

* * *

Jon had told the band earlier that he wanted to preform a song on his own, at first they were all confused as to why he was being so mysterious about everything but he assured them all that he'd explain it to them later. All he had told them was that he needed to do this and so they had agreed, trusting him to do what he needed to. And so, that is how it came to be that Jon was making his way on stage alone with nothing but his acoustic guitar while the rest of them stood on the sidelines watching with baited breath. It was very rare that Jon sang, but when he did, it was a treat for everyone.

He positioned himself on the stool and adjusted the mic before he began to talk. "As all of you already know I'm Clary's older brother, which means it's my job to protect her. What you probably don't know is that our parents split up when we were really young. Clary doesn't really remember much about our father because she was so small." He looked over to her and their eyes briefly met before he turned back to the audience. Clary was unsure as to why her brother was talking about their past, but at the mention of the memories of her broken family she felt a heavy weight place itself on her heart. Obviously having noticed Clary's distress, Jace had slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, successfully calming her down slightly.

"A little while after he left us there was an accident and our father died. Which meant that from then on I was the man of the family and I felt like I had to protect Clary from the entire world and sometimes even from herself, god only knows how clumsy that girl is." The entire audience laughed alongside Jonathan, causing Clary to glare slightly at her brother for making fun of her. "She never made it easy for me, always wanting to explore the most dangerous places, befriending strangers in the street when she was still young, wandering off… I'm telling you, that girl was a nightmare as a child. She's probably gonna kill me for saying any of this," he looked over in her direction "in fact, I can literally see her giving me the evils from off stage." Again the audience seemed to find this amusement and laughed a bit more.

"The point is that for a long time it was just our mum and us, but that was before our mum met a great guy named Luke, and was lucky enough to fall in love again. Luke never once tried to replace our father but he always made it clear that we were basically his own children and would do anything for us. It was for that reason and many other that we grew to love him." Clary smiled at the fond memories she shared with Luke. Jon was right, he was like a second father to them. "But despite having this new father figure, there was always that hole, that missing piece that my father took with him when he died.

"For years I felt so lost without him but there was always one thing I would do whenever I felt like I needed to feel closer to him. You see, Clary and I didn't receive our musical talents from our mother, but instead from our father. He used to play the guitar and he even started teaching me before he died. I remember when I was really young and I'd just found out that my parents were splitting up, I took the news pretty badly, lashing out at people, never really wanting to hang around my friends or my family anymore, getting into fights. One day I was sitting in my room just messing around when my dad came into the room with his guitar. He played me this song that he wrote and it has always stuck with me. Before he died he taught me the song, I never showed anyone because it was the one thing that I had from his that was just mine. Until now, I think it's about time that I shared his song with the world. This one's for you dad." With those last words he began to gently strum the guitar.

/

 _Come home early after class_

 _Don't be hanging round the back of the schoolyard_

 _I've been called up by a teacher_

 _She says she can't even reach you cause you're so far_

 _You've been talking with your fist_

 _We didn't raise you up like this, now did we_

 _There have been changes in this house_

 _Things that you don't know about in this family_

/

 _It don't make sense, but nevertheless_

 _You gotta believe us, it's all for the best_

 _It don't make sense_

 _The way things go_

 _Son you should know_

/

 _Sometimes moms and dads fall out of love_

 _Sometimes two homes are better than one_

 _Some things you can't tell your sister cause she's still too young_

 _Yeah you'll understand_

 _When you love someone_

/

Clary could feel her tears rolling down her face, but she couldn't bring herself to wipe them away. Watching Jon, she thought about the few memories she had left of her father and grew angry when she realised there just weren't that many. From what she could remember, she knew that he loved her and Jon more than anything else in the world.

/

 _There ain't no one here to blame_

 _Nothing's going to change with your old friends_

 _Your room will stay the same_

 _Cause you'll only be away on the weekends_

/

 _It don't make sense but nevertheless_

 _You gotta believe us, it's all for the best_

 _It don't make sense_

 _It don't add up_

 _We'll always love you no matter what_

/

 _Sometimes moms and dads fall out of love_

 _Sometimes two homes are better than one_

 _Some things you can't tell your sister cause she's still too young_

 _Yeah you'll understand_

 _When you love someone_

 _When you love someone_

/

She clung to Jace as the tears continued to stream down her face. Clary could see all of the emotions her brother was feeling as he played. There was pain from having lost their father, joy because of the memories that he would treasure, insecurity from sharing something so precious to him with the rest of the world. As he sung, Clary closed her eyes and thought of the few memories she still had left of her family before everything had changed, and instead of being bitter about all of the time that was stolen from her, she was thankful for having what she did.

/

 _Come home early after class_

 _Don't be hanging around the back of the schoolyard_

 _And if we're crying on the couch_

 _Don't let it freak you out_

 _This has been so hard_

/

 _Sometimes moms and dads fall out of love_

 _Sometimes the best intentions just ain't enough_

 _Some things you can't tell your sister cause she's still too young_

 _Yeah you'll understand_

 _When you love someone_

 _When you love someone_

 _When you love someone_

 _When you love someone_

/

When he finally finished playing Jon made his way off stage and towards his sister. As he approached Clary could tell that he felt guilty about hiding this from her for so long but also about making her cry. Gently he placed down the guitar and took Clary in his arms, stroking her hair in a calming gesture.

"I didn't mean to make you cry Clare." he told her soothingly. "I'm so sorry, please stop crying." She pulled away from him slightly so that she could look up at his face rather than having her face buried in his chest.

"How come you never told me about that song?"

"I don't know, it's just, when dad died, I think you were too young to really realise what was going on." Jon explained as he gently wiped away her tears with one of his hands. "By the time you were old enough to understand, I guess I didn't want to burden you with it. I'm sorry, I should've showed it to you sooner." He bowed his head and Clary could tell that he'd meant well, after all, he was just trying to protect her like he always did.

"It's okay." he looked into her eyes again and she saw all of the love he held for her. Jon would do anything for his baby sister and in that moment Clary felt more loved than she had in a long time. "I love you big bro."

"I love you too baby sis." he replied before pulling her back to him.

* * *

"I can't believe we're gonna be on the Jonathan Ross Show." Simon stated as they made their way into the greenroom. The show was due to start any minute and their excitement still hadn't worn off since they woke up that morning. So far the band and Jace had arrived, been in hair and make-up, had some time to talk to Jonathan Ross and were now waiting patiently to start their interview. When they'd first heard about the interview from Jordan, at first they had thought it was a joke, but once it finally sunk in that they would not only be performing on the show, but also being interviewed, they were over the moon.

Someone had come into the room and told them that they would be able to watch the show from a small tv in the corner of the room until it was time for them to go. They watched patiently as the intro music began and Jonathan Ross began the show. Before they knew it they were being introduced and started to make their way towards the set. Clary could barely contain her excitement as she walked out onto the stage and saw the studio audience all cheering their names. Jon, Alec, Simon, Clary and Jace all made their way over to the couch where they would be able to sit and talk to Jonathan Ross.

"It's a pleasure to have you all here." he began.

"The pleasure is all ours." Jon told him, Clary couldn't help but notice how calm he seemed. This life really was suited for her brother. He took to being famous like a bird takes to flying. Alec was sitting at the furthest end of the couch with Simon sitting next to him. Then it was Jon, then Clary and finally Jace was sitting the closest to Jonathan Ross.

"Why don't you guys go ahead and introduce yourselves?" Jonathan instructed.

"I'm Alec, I play the drums for the the band Divine Intervention."

"I'm Simon, I play bass for the band."

"Jonathan. I play the guitar." Clary watched as her brother winked to the audience, eliciting a few screams from some of the female members of the audience.

"Clary, I'm the lead singer."

"And I'm Jace, I'm a singer and I play the guitar."

"But you're not with the band right?" Jonathan Ross asked.

"No, I'm a solo artist." Jace explained.

"Wow, another Jonathan," Jonathan Ross said indicating to Clary's brother, "this could get a little confusing." This caused a few laughs from the audience and the band themselves. "Is it alright if I call you Jon?"

"Sure, but I'm not the only Jonathan here." Jon replied happily looking over to Jace.

"Actually," Jace interjected "my name is Jonathan as well, but I just go by Jace. So technically there are three of us here."

"How did you get from Jonathan to Jace?" Jonathan asked.

"My middle name's Christopher, so my initials are J.C. Somehow that just got turned into Jace and it kind of stuck with me."

"As if one Jonathan wasn't enough to deal with." Simon joked eliciting laughs from everyone. "Now we have Jonathan, Jon and Jace." After everyone had calmed down Jonathan continued with the interview.

"So you're in the middle of your first tour, is that right?"

"Yeah, we just started a few weeks ago." Alec confirmed.

"What's that been like so far?"

"Honestly it's been incredible, the whole experience is just so surreal. Being able to perform all over, seeing how supportive our fans are, we're just so grateful for it all." Simon explained.

"But it's not just the band on tour," he turned so that he could address Jace directly as he spoke, " you're also on tour with them as well, is that right?"

"Yep." agreed Jace.

"How did that work exactly, did you all meet right before the tour started or did you have a few weeks before hand to get to know each other?"

"Well actually," Jon began, "Jace used to be part of our band before we became famous. He was the lead singer."

"Oh wow." Jonathan Ross replied. "What made you leave the band?"

Clary watched as she saw a flash of guilt appear on Jace's face before he masked it and answered the question. "Well, one day I was given a choice, I could either move back to the UK-where I'm originally from- and pursue a solo career or continue on with the band. Back then I made a lot of mistakes, including choosing to go back home. I ended things pretty badly and it wasn't until recently that I have finally managed to make up for a lot of my mistakes I made when I was younger."

"That's incredible. So did you plan to go on tour together or was is all a big surprise?"

They all seemed to laugh, recalling the memory of the day that Jace appeared back in their lives again. "It was actually quite a surprise." Clary began. "Our managers weren't aware that we knew each other, so the day that Jace came over to 'meet us' we were all really shocked."

"What do you miss most about being away from home now that you are on tour?"

"Umm, I think it's the fact that we don't really get that much time to relax because we're always on the go." Alec explained.

"For me it's not having home cooked meals anymore." Simon spoke up, "I really miss my mum's cooking." There were a few aw's from the audience.

Then it was Jon's turn to answer, "Not sleeping in the same bed every night." Once he'd said it he realised how it sounded, but by then, it was too late and everyone was laughing at Jon's insinuation that he slept around a lot, everyone that is, except for Clary who was slightly creeped out by the thought.

"I miss the tranquility, don't get me wrong, I love the chaos of being on tour but sometimes it can get to be a bit too much. Especially when you have to share a bus with four guys and only one other girl." Clary explained earning her a shoulder nudge from Jon.

"You love sharing with us," Jon teased, "if we weren't there, who else would help you get up onto your bunk." Clary glared at her brother for basically telling the whole word that she was too short to reach her own bed. The audience laughed at Jon's comment along with the rest of her friends.

"What about you Jace, what do you miss most about being away from home?" Jonathan asked.

"Honestly," he pause, "I don't really miss anything. I love being on tour. Everything about it is great, we get to travel to new places, meet loads of fans and do what we love."

"Wow." Jonathan stated. "Well I'm just gonna go ahead and say it, we have a bunch of very good looking people on this couch so I'm gonna ask the question I know everyone wants to hear the answer to, are you all single?"

"Actually no." Simon explained. "I've got a girlfriend."

"Who happens to be my sister." Alec interjected.

"Ohh, does that cause any problems between the two of you?" Jonathan asked.

"Not really," Alec replied, "Simon's a great guy so I know that he'll treat her well, and if he doesn't Izzy's more than capable of taking care of herself."

"What about the rest of you? Are any of you spoken for?" Jonathan continued. "I can't help but notice you two over here." He explained indicating Clary and Jace, "There have been plenty of rumours going around about the pair of you. So are you a couple or not?"

Clary could feel a lump in her throat appear as all the attention suddenly turned to her and Jace. By now she was used to being in the limelight, but sometimes it seemed to overwhelm her and she felt like she was a teenager again, terrified to be the centre of attention. Having noticed Clary's nerves, Jace linked his hand with hers and spoke for the pair of them. "Yeah, we are."

"Well congratulations."

"Thank you." Clary replied shyly.

"So I know you are gonna perform a song for us but am I right in saying that you're all gonna perform together? It must be nice all singing together after all this time."

"Yes and no, this will be the first time we've all performed together actually." Jace explained. "Back when I was in the band, Clary wasn't, she was more of our manager. But when I left she took my place as lead singer." Clary felt as Jace gave her hand a gentle squeeze in order to comfort her, it was probably obvious that she was still really nervous about being in front of this many people.

"Did you write this song together then?" Jonathan asked.

"Kind of." Jace replied, indicating that Clary would be better to explain it. She took a deep breath before she began to talk.

"I sort of had the song written, but it was missing a lot of lyrics. One day I decided to play it while everyone else was exploring one of the venues we were gonna be playing in. I didn't know it at the time but Jace heard it and then he came up to me a while ago and we just went from there."

"I can't wait to hear it." Jonathan commented. With that they all stood and made their way over to the small stage. All of the instruments were in their usual places with the drum kit in the back and the bass and guitar on either side of the stage. This time though there were two mics on the front of the stage. Clary and Jace walked hand in hand up to the mics and only when they finally reached them did they let go of each other. As the music began to play, Clary felt all of her fears wash away as the euphoria of performing replaced it.

Clary, **Jace** , Both

/

 _Hey, I hear the voice of a preacher from the back room_

 _Calling my name and I follow just to find you_

 _I trace the faith to a broken down television and put on the weather_

/

 _And I've trained myself to give up on the past 'cause_

 _I froze in time between hearses and caskets_

 _Lost control when I panicked at the acid test_

 _I wanna get better_

/

 ** _While my friends were getting high and chasing girls down parkway lines_**

 ** _I was losing my mind 'cause the love, the love, the love, the love, the love_**

 ** _That I gave wasted on a nice face_**

/

 ** _In a blaze of fear I put a helmet on a helmet_**

 ** _Counting seconds through the night and got carried away_**

 ** _So now I'm standing on the overpass screaming at the cars,_**

 ** _Hey, I wanna get better!_**

/

 _I didn't know I was lonely 'til I saw your face_

 ** _I wanna get better, better, better, better,_**

 ** _I wanna get better_**

/

 _I didn't know I was broken 'til I wanted to change_

 ** _I wanna get better, better, better, better,_**

 ** _I wanna get better_**

/

 _I go up to my room and there's girls on the ceiling_

 _Cut out their pictures and I chase that feeling_

 _Of an eighteen year old who didn't know what loss was_

 _Now I'm a stranger_

/

 ** _And I miss the days of a life still permanent_**

 ** _Mourn the years before I got carried away_**

 ** _So now I'm staring at the interstate screaming at myself,_**

 ** _Hey, I wanna get better!_**

/

 _I didn't know I was lonely 'til I saw your face_

 ** _I wanna get better, better, better, better,_**

 ** _I wanna get better_**

/

 _I didn't know I was broken 'til I wanted to change_

 ** _I wanna get better, better, better, better,_**

 ** _I wanna get better_**

/

 _Better, 'cause I'm sleeping in the back of a taxi_

 _I'm screaming from my bedroom window_

 _Even if its gonna kill me_

/

Clary looked over and watched as Jace sang his heart out as he clutched the mic with both of his hands. In that moment she realised just how much she loved to perform with him. He looked over at her and smiled as he sang.

/

 _Woke up this morning early before my family_

 _From this dream where she was trying to show me_

 _How a life can move from the darkness_

 _She said to get better_

/

 ** _So I put a bullet where I shoulda put a helmet_**

 ** _And I crash my car 'cause I wanna get carried away_**

 ** _That's why I'm standing on the overpass screaming at myself_**

 ** _Hey, I wanna get better!_**

/

They stayed with their eyes locked as they sang, each one of them holding onto the mic with both hands. It was almost as if they were singing to each other and there was no one else around them. The rest of the world always seemed to melt away whenever Clary was with Jace.

/

 ** _I wanna get better, better, better, better,_**

 ** _I wanna get better_**

/

 _I didn't know I was lonely 'til I saw your face_

 ** _I wanna get better, better, better, better,_**

 ** _I wanna get better_**

/

 _I didn't know I was broken 'til I wanted to change_

 ** _I wanna get better, better, better, better,_**

 ** _I wanna get better_**

/

The crowd broke into a round of applause as the song ended and Jonathan concluded the show with a final shout of "Divine Intervention and Jace Herondale!"


	10. Honestly

SONGS:

*You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You- James Arthur

* * *

 _I've seen ugly parts, of you, and I'm still staying._

* * *

After the talk show the band had a few free days to relax before their next performance. Jace on the other hand had to fly to New York for the Victoria Secret fashion show before flying back straight away so that he wouldn't miss their concert. It was gonna be tight but Maia assured Jace that he wouldn't miss any performances.

Now that the band finally had time to themselves, they had no idea what to do with it. Some chose this time to catch up on some well needed rest. It seemed Clary was doing just that and Jon was happy to find that his sister was finally managing to get more than a few hours of sleep at a time. He'd seen just how exhausted she looked recently and was glad that she'd soon be back to her normal healthy self.

Jon had decided that it was high time that he had a talk with Alec about his sudden need to disappear all the time. He was worried about his friend and wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong. Jonathan felt slightly guilty knowing that he'd been too preoccupied with himself and Clary to pay too much attention to his friends, but that was about to change now. He decided to go in search for Alec, unfortunately though Alec wasn't answering his hotel room door. Assuming that he'd probably just gone out, Jon decided to ask Simon wether he knew where Alec was.

Jon wished he'd had the sense knock rather than just barging in because he was greeted by the sight of Simon and Isabelle full on making out in the middle of the hotel room. Isabelle had shed her top and was standing there with her bra on full show. The pair broke apart and sent a few glares at him as Simon tried to cover Isabelle up with his own body, not that Jon was interested in seeing anything, after all Isabelle was like a sister to him. He immediately exited the room, not wanting to see anymore of what he already had. Trying to erase the image from his mind, Jon headed towards Magnus' room in the hopes that he would know where Alec had wondered off too. He considered talking to Jordan or Maia but they had gone out for a meeting and had told the band that they wouldn't be back until later.

Having learnt his lesson Jon knocked on the door this time. After having made his presence known he entered the room and once again was met with a sight he wished he wouldn't have seen. Alec and Magnus were both shirtless and lying on the bed with their lips locked together. Obviously not having heard Jon knocking on the door they were surprised to realise another presence in the room.

"Jesus Christ, not again! Haven't my poor eyes suffered enough today." Jon complained as he turned away from the pair and tried to remove the mental images that were now in his mind. "Can no one keep their hands to themselves for five goddamned minutes!"

"What do you want Jonathan?" Magnus asked, annoyance clearly lacing his voice. Jon turned around and was happy to see that both males were once again fully clothed.

"I need to borrow Alec, if that's alright with you sparkles." Jon retorted. Alec made his way over to Jonathan before grabbing him by the arm and dragging him out of the room. Only when they'd made it to the blue eyed boy's own hotel room did either of the boys speak.

"Well?" Alec asked. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"I was gonna ask why you've been sneaking off lately, but I seem to have stumbled upon that answer all by myself." Jon told him harshly. "Why didn't you tell me you liked Magnus?" It didn't bother him that Alec and Magnus had a thing, what bothered Jon was the fact that Alec hadn't told his best friend something as important as that. Jonathan understood that he'd been a bit preoccupied lately but he'd never want his friends to think that he was too busy for them.

At Jon's words Alec seemed to deflate slightly, "I don't know." The blue eyed boy responded. "It was just really new and I didn't want to mess it up by getting other people involved."

There was a short pause in which neither boy knew what to say to the other. "You really like him don't you?" Jonathan asked his friend.

Alec nodded his head in agreement. "It's weird because I never saw myself with someone like Magnus but he pushes me in the best way possible and encourages me to be more confident. He truly cares about me unlike so many other people who just want me for my fame." Jon understood the struggles of trying to find someone who truly cared for you rather than being superficial and selfish. If Magnus made his friend happy he was happy for the two of them.

"That's great." Jonathan assured, to which Alec seemed to lighten up a bit.

"I was really nervous about telling you guys. You're practically family so I care what you think." Alec explained.

"As long as Magnus makes you happy Alec, no one will have a problem with it." He reassured his best friend. "But can I please ask you for one favour?"

Jonathan watched as Alec features became confused, but he nodded anyway. "Next time you and Mr. Glitter decide to have a make-out session, for god's sake. Lock. The. Door." Alec agreed through his laughter as he recalled Jonathan's face after walking in on them. "I don't understand why no one here has ever heard of a lock. Is it because you all want to torture me with these mental images? I'm going to have to wash my brain out with soap to un-see all the nudity I saw today." Jon continues, forever acting like a drama queen. Alec laughed at his friend but then he considered something Jonathan had said.

"Jon," Alec spoke interrupting Jonathan's pointless complaints, "who else did you walk in on?" Jon seemed to have realised what he said but by then it was too late. He knew Alec suspected who else he'd walked in on and realised how angry Isabelle would be that he'd said anything. Jon had known Isabelle for years and he'd learnt never to get on her bad side, not only because she wore heels that could double as deadly weapons but also because ehe had been present one time that she'd punched a guy almost twice her size for making fun of her.

Alec didn't wait for Jon's confirmation as he stormed out of the room and headed in the direction of Simon's room muttering something about a rat. Jonathan managed to catch up to Alec before he reached the door and placed his hand on the blue eyed boy's arm stopping him in his tracks. "Alec chill, you already knew that they were going out. It's not like they were sneaking around behind your back."

"That doesn't mean that Simon can put his hands all over my sister when they've only been going out for a month for all we know. Especially, when I'm in the room across the hall from them."

"And you were doing the exact same thing." Jonathan tried to reason with his friend.

"So if I told you that Clary and Jace were in that room," Alec spoke as he indicated the closes room to the pair, "making out and probably half naked right now, you'd honestly tell me that you'd be alright with that?" After considering his words for a moment Jonathan said nothing, instead he removed his hand from Alec's arm in a gesture that told him to go ahead and do whatever he wanted. After all it was a big brother's job to protect his little sister.

* * *

Jace was exhausted after having to get up at the crack of dawn to fly back to New York. He hadn't had a chance to rest since the moment his fight landed as Maia dragged him to the venue and he had to perform sound checks and a full on rehearsal. Maia had sent over which song he would be playing when he first got the gig so that the people organising the fashion show would be able to fit it into their schedule. It turned out that Jace would be the closing act where the last few models would walk up and down the catwalk as he sang before all of the models made a reappearance at the end. Apparently he also had to stick around afterward for press and photos meaning that Maia had to delay his flight back a few hours. That meant that he wouldn't get much of a chance to rest until he had finally made it back to the tour and his friends.

The thought itself made Jace tired but he soldiered on, not that it was too difficult when he realised that he was fulfilling his childhood dream. Of course now that Jace had Clary back he didn't bat an eye at any of the models walking by him in nothing but their underwear. The only reason he had agreed to do this anyway was because he knew that his ten year old self would have punched him had he known that he turned down the chance to play at the Victoria Secret fashion show.

Somehow Jace had managed to sneak in a five minute nap before he was whisked away to get ready for the show. Even though he wouldn't be on until last he still had to be ready for when he performed. It felt strange to Jace to be performing without his friends around, even the usual band members that he was used to playing for him had stayed behind as the people at the fashion show had assured him that they had a band prepared to play for him while he sang.

Most teenage boys would kill to be in his position, but secretly Jace couldn't wait to get out of there and go back on tour with his friends, especially Clary. Now that he had her back he wasn't going to do anything to mess it up. He would treat her how she deserved to be treated and he'd spend every day possible reminding her how much she meant to him and how incredible he thought she was. The thought of Clary alone brought a smile to his face which only widened when he thought about the fact that she had told him that she would be watching his performance on live tv.

Meanwhile somewhere across the country Clary was sitting down to watch her boyfriend play at the Victoria Secret fashion show. At first she hadn't been thrilled that he would be surrounded by all of those drop dead gorgeous women and as the even date grew closer Clary's anxiety only increased. That was until she had received multiple texts from Jace today, reminding her of how much he missed her already and how none of those models had anything in comparison to her. Yes, Clary was aware that it sounded incredibly cheesy and she was aware of the fact that Jace was probably lying through his teeth in order to make her feel better but the fact that he was doing that made her heart swell.

In such a short amount of time Jace had managed to stride back into her life and not only win her over again but also her friends. They had warmed up to him gradually and sometimes Clary felt like nothing had changed since she was younger. Sometimes when they were all together she'd close her eyes and just listen to everyone's voices, picturing them all back in New York. It was amazing how much could change, yet it all somehow managed to stay the same, well almost.

Clary was brought back to reality as she watched her boyfriend appear on screen and make his way over to the stage. Even the way he walked spoke volumes, the man basically screamed confidence. Everything about him was calm and collected, though Clary knew that it wasn't always that way. She knew of the inner struggles he faced as well as the demons he was forced to battle again and again. Granted it had been a long time since they had talked about those kinds of things, but she was sure that he would be fighting those battles for the rest of his music began and Clary watched as the first few models walked onto the stage with nothing on other than the flimsy pieces of lingerie.

/

 _Long gone and fallen down but I'm loving how it tastes_

 _I look around for desire, love run away_

/

 _Hold back, we're falling down, and I show you how it breaks_

 _If I can give it, I'll take it, all of the way_

 _And I've got a lot left to learn, babe_

/

 _You're nobody 'til somebody loves you_

 _It's hard times when nobody wants you_

 _Fill up my cup, don't ever stop coming_

 _Get up on top, I'll make it pop, honey_

/

 _You're nobody 'til somebody loves you_

 _It's a cold heart, when nobody holds you_

 _Fill up my cup, don't ever stop coming_

 _Get up on top, I'll make it pop, honey_

/

 _A cold star coming down_

 _I was way off of the pace_

 _I waited long for the day, now the day comes for me_

/

 _When I look back we're falling out, you live with a break_

 _You'd always give it, I take it, all the way_

 _We've still got so much to learn, babe_

/

 _You're nobody 'til somebody loves you_

 _It's hard times when nobody wants you_

 _Fill up my cup, don't ever stop coming_

 _Get up on top, I'll make it pop, honey_

/

 _You're nobody 'til somebody loves you_

 _It's a cold heart, when nobody holds you_

 _Fill up my cup, don't ever stop coming_

 _Get up on top, I'll make it pop, honey_

/

Just then Jace looked straight into the camera and gave his signature smirk in the hopes that his little red-head would see it. To most people it would just seem like something he would do anytime he performed, but he hoped that Clary would see that it was just for her. To show her that he wasn't paying attention to the women passing by him one by one, but instead he was thinking of her in that moment.

/

 _Don't you stop me, I will get what's coming to me_

 _I am ready, baby, I will be somebody_

 _Don't you stop me, I will get what's coming to me_

 _I am ready, baby, I will be somebody_

/

 _You're nobody 'til somebody loves you_

 _It's hard times when nobody wants you_

 _Fill up my cup, don't ever stop coming_

 _Get up on top, I'll make it pop, honey_

/

 _You're nobody 'til somebody loves you_

 _It's a cold heart, when nobody holds you_

 _Fill up my cup, don't ever stop coming_

 _Get over top, I'll make it pop, honey_

 _/_

As the song was coming to an end, Jace detached the microphone from the stand and walked onto the stage with the rest of the models. In true Jace fashion he strutted down that catwalk as he sang, engaging the crowd and forcing them to their feet. He belted out the last note once he reached the end of the catwalk and was surrounded by all of the models. The crowd ate it up and were on their feet clapping enthusiastically. Now all he had to do was pose for a couple dozen pictures and mingle a little bit before he would be on his way back to his red-head.


	11. Danger Around Every Corner

SONGS:

*Dreaming Along- Against The Current feat. Taka from ONE OK ROCK

* * *

 _I can't promise to fix all your problems but I can promise you won't have to face them all alone._

* * *

Clary's heart was pounding in her chest as she crouched behind a barrel. She took a moment to control her breathing and calm her nerves before returning to the action. But just as she was about get up to run, someone appeared next to Clary, causing her to almost jump out of her own skin. Heaving a sigh of relief she realised that it was only Isabelle. The raven haired girl had a massive grin plastered to her face as she looked over to her friend. Clary had to admit, at first she had been skeptical about playing laser tag but now that they were doing it she had to admit that it was a lot of fun, especially since it didn't hurt like paintball did.

"Are you just gonna hide there all day Clare?" Jon taunted from across the room. The group had decided to play in teams of two. Isabelle had automatically snatched Clary up, leaving Simon and Alec, and finally Jon and Jace. Clary had to admit that having her brother and boyfriend on the same team was kind of daunting, especially since she was on the opposite team to them.

"I have a plan." Isabelle whispered to Clary. "If you cover me, I think I can make it to that pillar which gives me the perfect shot of the boys." Clary nodded her head in agreement. Isabelle held her hand up, ready to signal her move. Together they jumped into action, Isabelle running while Clary shot out from her hiding place and shooting to where she knew the guys were. Unfortunately Isabelle caught sight of one of the guys aiming straight for her and dove to the nearest hiding place, successfully missing her chance to get to her original goal.

Clary cursed under her breath as she ducked back behind the barrel. Now they were separated again and didn't have a backup plan. She wracked her brain trying to think of a way to make it over to Isabelle without getting shot. So lost in thought, she failed to notice another presence next to her until there was a gun pointed straight at her. She looked up to see the smug face of Jace, he had her right where he wanted her and there was nothing she could do about it.

He began to walk towards her menacingly, causing her to back away. With every step he took in her direction, she took another one away from him, until she ran into a wall. His smile grew wider, obviously having noticed her current predicament.

"Just shoot me and get it over with." Clary told him, growing tired of his mind games.

Jace raised the hand not holdings gun to his chest in mock hurt, "would I ever do that to you?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yes!" Clary answered bluntly, rather than being put off by her answer he just seemed to smile and nod as if agreeing with her answer. By now Jace had gotten so close to Clary that they were in reaching distance of each other. All of a sudden, Jace lowered his gun and with his other hand, gently pulled Clary towards him by the the back of the neck, crashing their lips together. She was instantly lost in the kiss, forgetting the world around her. At some point she had dropped her own gun and snaked her arms around Jace's waist, pulling him closer to her.

All too soon Jace broke away from her and Clary's ears were filled with the sound of a gunshot. She looked down, gobsmacked to realise that Jace had shot her. She raised her gaze again to see his brief smirk before he turned around and ran away before she had a chance to even think about retaliating. She swore then and there that she would get her revenge, even if it took forever. One day, Jace would regret the day that he beat Clary at laser tag.

* * *

Isabelle had been disappointed to hear that Clary had been eliminated, but the disappointment didn't last very long considering Simon took it upon himself to tell her just how sexy he thought she was throughout the game. Clary found herself overjoyed at the fact that her two friends had found happiness together and hoped that they would find a way to make it last. It was rare to find someone you truly cared about in this world, especially when it was getting harder and harder to notice when someone was lying to you.

Just then, Clary felt a pair of arms snake around her from behind. "What are you thinking about?" Jace's sweet voice whispered in her ear. The feeling of his breath as it tickled her ear made her shiver and sent electricity throughout her entire body. It amazed Clary how much of an effect Jace still had on her despite all this time.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Clary teased as she leant closer to Jace. She revelled in the feeling of him, his chest pressed against her back, it sent every one of her nerves into overdrive. Swiftly Jace had twisted Clary around to face him so that their chests were pressed together. His golden eyes bore into her soul, and she knew she would never get enough of staring into them.

"So that's how you wanna play?" he remarked confidently, his usual smirk making it's appearance. "I could always force you to tell me."

"And how would you do that?" Almost immediately Clary regretted her words as she watched his devilish smile grow and his fingers tensed around her waist. He was going to tickle her. "You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?" Knowing that she'd never be able to get away Clary came up with a different strategy. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Clary raised herself onto her toes so that their faces were almost touching. Together they stayed frozen, every part of their bodies touching other than their faces. Neither one dared to move as they were trapped in their own little bubble. Clary breathing increased and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Surely she would be used to being this close to Jace, but it seemed that every time she was around him her body went into overdrive.

After what felt like an infinity she could feel Jace slowly getting closer, but before their lips could meet the pair were interrupted. "If you two could keep your hands to yourselves long enough for us to get through our set it would be great." Jon remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. In Jonathan's defence the band was due onstage any second now so it wasn't exactly the most appropriate time for them to be making out.

Clary took a tentative step away from Jace and out of his arms. She could tell that he wasn't too happy about being interrupted but kept his mouth shut. Instead, he glanced at her and gave her a look that told her that they weren't finished and would resume what they were doing the first chance they could. The thought brought a smile to her face and she could feel excitement springing to life inside of her.

The band made it's way onstage as usual, only this time they would be joined by Jace again. It had been so much fun to perform with him that they had all decided to do it again, especially since Clary and Jace seemed to work really well together when it came to songwriting.

Clary, **Jace** , Both

 _The story starts laying in the dark with someone new_

 _I'm feeling tired from all the time I spent on you_

 _But I know I'm strong from all the trouble I've been through_

 _The story starts where the story falls apart with you_

 _/_

 _Don't lie, bright eyes_

 _Is it me that you see when you fall asleep?_

 _'Cause I know it's you I dream about every night_

 _Giving me a feeling like_

 _/_

 _Love in the summer_

 _Way I've never felt with another_

 _Don't lie, bright eyes_

 _Is it me that you see?_

 _Tell me I'm not dreaming alone_

 _/_

 ** _The story starts lying in the dark broken and bruised_**

 ** _I count the scars left in my heart from losing you_**

 ** _And I was wrong but let's be honest you were too_**

 ** _I miss the part where I was falling hard for you_**

 _/_

 ** _So don't lie, bright eyes_**

 ** _Is it me that you see when you fall asleep?_**

 ** _'Cause I know it's you I dream about every night_**

 ** _Giving me this feeling like_**

 _/_

 ** _Love in the summer_**

 ** _Way I've never felt with another_**

 ** _Don't lie, bright eyes_**

 ** _Is it me that you see?_**

 ** _Tell me I'm not dreaming alone_**

 _/_

 _I can't take back the things I said_

 ** _And I won't say that I regret_**

 _Any day that I was yours_

 _/_

 _Don't lie, bright eyes_

 _I know it's me that you see when you fall asleep_

 _And you know it's you I dream about every night_

 _Giving me this feeling like_

 _/_

 _Love in the summer_

 _Way I've never felt with any other_

 _Don't lie, bright eyes_

 _It'll always be you and me, so why are we dreaming alone?_

 _It'll always be you and me, so why are we dreaming alone?_

* * *

Even before they made it outside Clary could hear the sound of the screaming fans. It was like this every time they finished a gig. In order to get to their bus the band had to first walk through a crowd of screaming fans, occasionally giving an autograph or taking a picture with some of them. Sometimes it was the best part of her night, being able to interact with the people who allowed her to pursue the career that she loved. She owed everything to her fans, it was only fair that she give something back in return even if it was only an autograph or two.

She especially loved it when fans would show her things they had made inspired by the band. To her it meant that they cared enough to take time out of their day in order to create something because of them. It also made Clary feel as though she was inspiring others to do things that they loved.

With barely concealed anticipation Clary took the last few steps out the door and into the fresh air. Shouts filled her ears, chanting the band's name, some calling to individual band members and others just screaming their lungs out at the sight of them. A small laugh escaped Clary's lips as she continued with her tradition of heading over to where she could hear her own name being shouted. She walked up to a pair of teenage girls, the blonde one slightly taller than the brunette. Clary could immediately tell that the girls were close and that the taller blonde was the drama queen while the shorter girl seemed slightly more level headed. As she got closer Clary noticed that the pair were wearing t-shirts with a picture of the band on them. It always amazed her to see her own face on things. The weirdest had been when she found out that they sold pillows with her face, the thought of someone sleeping on her face kind of gave her the creeps.

As she approached the two girls she could hear their screams getting more frantic with excitement. Just like always Clary engaged in conversation with them as she signed things for them and took some pictures. It warmed Clary's heart to discover that they had travelled for two hours by bus in order to see the concert. Her fans always seemed to amaze her with their dedication and support. The blonde girl, whose name Clary had discovered was Lizzie, was gushing about how lucky Clary was to be around such hot guys all the time. Meanwhile her friend, Roxie, was more focused on explaining how Clary had inspired her. Hearing how she had affected someone else's life almost brought tears to Clary's eyes. Right in that moment she was so thankful to be able to do what she does because even if she could help one person, she would be happy.

Clary turned her head to look over to all of her friends who were in very similar positions to her, each one surrounded by a group of fans. Just then Jace turned his head and looked over to her. Just then they seemed to share a moment and Clary knew that he was also grateful to be able to affect so many people in a positive way. All of a sudden his smile seemed to disappear and turn into a deep frown. Confused by his sudden change she watched as he tried to scramble through the crowd towards her. Clary made to go towards Jace in an attempt to discover what had gotten into him but was stopped abruptly by a sharp pain caused by something pulling at her hair. In an attempt to break free she turned abruptly and was knocked to the ground forcefully. A heavy body fell on top of her and she struggled to get out from under it.

She could feel her heart beating frantically and her breathing was erratic, despite all of her attempts to break free, she couldn't push the man off of her. All of a sudden he was being lifted away and she could feel arms wrapping around her, lifting her off the ground. Only when she was up did she notice that the man was being dragged away by security and she was being held up by Jace.

"Jesus Clary! Are you alright? You're shaking." He turned her around to face him so that he could examine her for damage.

"I'm… I'm fine." She stuttered in reply. "Just a bit shaken." He pulled her towards him in a hug which she gladly returned. The rest of her friends had gathered around them and each took their turn inspecting her, making sure she was alright.

"What the hell was that!" Jon demanded once he was sure his sister was unharmed.

"I'm fine Jon, I just-" she was interrupted by Jordan who suggested they finish this conversation in the bus, away from prying eyes. Everyone agreed and before she knew it they had all made it to the bus and gathered in the back to discuss everything.

"Anyone care to explain to me what just happened?" Jonathan stated drily.

"I'm not really sure. One minute I was talking to some fans, the next I was on the ground." Clary tried to explain as she rubbed at her sore head. She winced as her fingers grazed against something sticky and brought her fingers down to examine them only to discover they were damp from blood. "I think he ripped some of my hair out." She could tell that her comment had infuriated her brother, knowing that his little sister got hurt when he was standing within reaching distance from her.

They were all silent for a moment, contemplating Clary's words, before Jace spoke up "I saw it all." he sounded so guilty Clary couldn't help but grab his hand and squeeze it reassuringly in hopes that he understood that it wasn't his fault that she got hurt. "I tried to get to Clary, but there were too many people in the way." He bowed his head and Clary felt her heart clench, he blamed himself. She pressed herself closer to him as to assure him of her wellbeing. He lifted his head up and gazed straight into her eyes before he continued. "As soon as you had your back turned that guy jumped over the barricade, straight past security and lunged at you." Slowly he lifted his hand and gently caressed her head, careful to not hurt her injury. Clary could clearly see his eyes were swimming with guilt so she mouthed the words 'I'm fine' to him, once again trying to reassure him.

The pair were snapped out of their moment by Jon's voice. "You should press charges."

"No." Clary replied immediately. She was once again reminded of all of her other fans and they way they were so grateful to get to talk to her and thank her for inspiring them and being there for them. "He was probably just trying to talk to me and accidentally knocked me over or something. I mean, I'm pretty clumsy and I was just surprised." Clary's words were meant with shocked and incredulous faces.

"You've got to be kidding me." Jon protested. Everyone else seemed to wince at his tone, when he wanted to be Jonathan could be pretty scary. The only person that he didn't intimidate was Clary. "He attacked you Clary. I know you try and see the best in people but this guy could have seriously hurt you."

"But he didn't." She told him matter-of-factly. "I'm fine, so can we please just forget about this and go to bed? I'm exhausted." Deciding that the grumbled responses were her friends' way of agreeing Clary stood and made her way to her bunk. It was now or never, if there was ever a time when she needed a small victory it was now. In one swift move she hopped onto the bunk and almost cheered with glee as she made it onto her bed without anyone's help. Finally! she thought to herself as she fell into a deep sleep not even bothering to get changed.


	12. Take Me Home

SONGS:

*Take Me Home- Jess Glynne

* * *

 _I feel the worst when I'm alone because_

 _that's when the monsters in my head say hello…_

* * *

"Good morning Chicago! Today I'm joined by the band Divine Intervention and Jace Herondale." The radio host explained as he spoke into the mic closest to him. It had been a pretty hectic morning, especially since the band was running late due to some members oversleeping and having to get ready in record time. Once they arrived at the radio station they were quickly introduced to the host, Taylor, before they were ushered into the small room and each given a place to sit, some headphones and briefly instructed what would happen. "It's great to meet you guys." The rest of the band gave a chorus of 'hey's' and 'it's great to be here'. "It's incredible how in such a short period of time your fandom has skyrocketed, isn't it?"

"It really is," Simon began, "I mean it feels like just yesterday we were in New York just messing around on our instruments and now we're on tour and have so many supportive fans who mean the world to us."

"Definitely," Alec continued, "our fans are incredible. Just the other day one of them gave me a cake and on the top they had created a portrait of the band using icing. It was amazing."

"Wow, did it taste good?" Taylor asked us all.

"We wouldn't know." Jon replied. "Alec refused to share it with any of us." Everyone in the room laughed as Alec turned a deep shade of red.

"So what else have you received from fans?"

"Mostly food." Simon explained.

"Probably because you keep saying how hungry you are every time we're on stage." Clary interjected causing everyone to erupt into laugher once again.

"I've gotten some really cool personalised picks for my guitar." Jon explained.

"Do you ever use them?" asked Taylor.

"All the time. I love to make music using them, it makes me feel closer to the fans in a way because they are the ones that allow me to play my music so it's only fair that I use the picks in order to create that music."

"That's incredible." Taylor replied. "Okay so now we're gonna play a quick game, this is called loaded questions. You just have to answer them as fast as you can, okay?" Everyone nodded their agreement. "What do you consider your most prized object?"

"My Star Wars t-shirt." Simon began.

"Umm… the first trophy I ever received." Alec's answer was met by a chorus of 'aww'.

"My dad's guitar." Jon explained with a slightly sad smile.

"My sketchbook." Clary added.

"My family ring." Jace said as he twisted said object around his finger.

"Alright, next question. What is your most annoying habit?"

Once again they went down the line starting with Simon. "My clumsiness? Does that even count as a habit?"

"Sure." Taylor replied.

"My sister would definitely say it was my bad dress sense." Alec told Taylor receiving nothing but agreement from his friends. "When it comes to fashion that girl won't take no for an answer."

"My overprotectiveness for the people I care about."

"But it's good to be protective of the people you care about." Taylor defended.

"Yeah, but sometimes I need to learn to let go and let others make their own decisions." Jonathan explained giving Clary a knowing look.

"Can I use Simon's?" Clary asked only to be met with disagreement. "Fine, ummm… I tend to act before I think which always seems to get me into trouble."

"And gives your poor brother a heart attack every time." Jon joked.

"I don't really have a worst habit." said Jace.

"How about your massive ego?" Clary interjected causing Jace to nudge her slightly with his shoulder.

"Me? Ego? Never!" Jace feigned offence causing everyone to laugh once more.

"What is the nicest feature of the person on your left?" Simultaneously everyone looked to the left, including Simon who was on the end, only to look back with a confused and disappointed look on his face causing everyone to laugh. "Just loop around so that you say it for Jace." Taylor explained.

"Is it like a physical feature or…?" Clary trailed off her question, not really sure how to explain herself properly.

"Whatever you want." replied Taylor.

"Okay." Simon began. "Jace's best feature… is…"

"It's hard to just pick one." said Jace cockily.

"His confidence." Simon finished. "No one can accuse Jace of being shy."

Then it was Jace's turn. "Clary's heart. She's always willing to forgive someone for their mistakes and she never judges people, instead she chooses to see the best in everyone she meets." Clary couldn't stop the huge smile that had appeared on her face. As he was talking Jace had grabbed Clary's hand with his own which she now squeezed in thanks.

"Jon's best feature is ironically his most annoying habit as well. His need to protect the people he cares about wether they're his family or not is unparalleled. We all know that he'd do anything for us and he's always there for us." Clary explained receiving a warm smile from her brother.

"I like this. It makes me feel great, anyone else wanna say what they love most about me?" said Jon earning a few laughs from everyone else. "Alright, I'll continue. Alec's best feature is his unwavering support."

"Simon's best feature is probably my sister." Alec joked before continuing. "It's his ability to make you smile in any situation."

"I'm touched." Simon told him.

"That was great guys." Taylor told them all. "Thank you so much for coming, it's been so much fun."

* * *

"You do realise we never finished what we started the other day." Jace whispered in Clary's ear. She shivered as she felt his warm breath caress her smooth skin.

"Is that right?" She asked, Jace had wrapped his arms around her from behind and she could feel his chest pressed against her back. She wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him but they were about to go on stage and she didn't want to get distracted like last time.

"Hmmm." Jace mumbled as he nuzzled his face in her hair. It took all of Clary's willpower to not turn around and embrace him.

"Jace." Her voice cracked despite her attempts to keep it steady. "Jace, you have to stop." Even she could hear how unconvincing she sounded. "We're going on stage." Pride swelled inside Clary as she managed to steady her voice though her breathing was quite the opposite and she could feel the adrenaline in her body. Jace peeled himself away from her and she turned to face him. He seemed so unaffected while she was panting like a dog. It angered her that he always seemed to look so calm while she was an open book ready for anyone to read. He smirked knowing exactly what she was thinking.

"Don't worry, I'm not finished with you yet." His voice was like honey to Clary. Slowly he leant forward so that he could whisper his next words into her ears. "Just wait until we're alone." Her entire body was vibrating with anticipation, this boy knew exactly how to get her body to respond to him. It was like she had no control over her own reactions.

"I hate that you know exactly what you do to me." Clary muttered.

"I love to see your reaction, especially when you blush." Jace lifted his hand and gently brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Trust me Clary, you affect me just as much as I do you." The thought made her smile. He leaned down and gave her a small peck on the lips. "Go kick some ass." Just before she walked on stage Jace slapped her butt playfully, knowing that she couldn't retaliate because she was on stage and in full view of the audience. Clary made a mental note to get him back later before making her way over to the mic. She watched as Jon, Alec and Simon all prepared their instruments. In less than a minute they were ready and the music began to play.

/

 _Wrapped up, so consumed by all this hurt_

 _If you ask me, don't know where to start_

 _Anger, love, confusion_

 _Roads that go nowhere_

 _I know there's somewhere better_

 _'Cause you always take me there_

 _/_

 _Came to you with a broken faith_

 _Gave me more than a hand to hold_

 _Caught before I hit the ground_

 _Tell me I'm safe, you've got me now_

 _/_

 _Would you take the wheel_

 _If I lose control?_

 _If I'm lying here_

 _Will you take me home?_

 _/_

 _Could you take care of a broken soul?_

 _Will you hold me now?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _/_

 _Hold the gun to my head, count 1, 2, 3_

 _If it helps me walk away then it's what I need_

 _Every minute gets easier_

 _The more you talk to me_

 _You rationalise my darkest thoughts_

 _Yeah, you set them free_

 _/_

 _Came to you with a broken faith_

 _Gave me more than a hand to hold_

 _Caught before I hit the ground_

 _Tell me I'm safe, you've got me now_

 _/_

 _Would you take the wheel_

 _If I lose control?_

 _If I'm lying here_

 _Will you take me home?_

 _/_

 _Could you take care of a broken soul?_

 _Oh, will you hold me now?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _/_

Clary was momentarily distracted by something strange in the crowd. She could see someone moving around, getting closer and closer. But she was so consumed in her song that she just assumed it was another fan wanting to get closer to the music. Despite her rationalisation though, the horrible feeling in her stomach refused to go away.

/

 _You say space will make it better_

 _And time will make it heal_

 _I won't be lost forever_

 _And soon I wouldn't feel_

 _Like I'm haunted, oh, falling_

 _/_

 _You say space will make it better_

 _And time will make it heal_

 _I won't be lost forever_

 _And soon I wouldn't feel_

 _Like I'm haunted, oh, falling_

 _/_

 _You say space will make it better_

 _And time will make it heal_

 _I won't be lost forever_

 _And soon I wouldn't feel_

 _Like I'm haunted, oh, falling_

 _/_

Once again Clary was dragged out of her little bubble by something strange happening in the crowd. She could see people parting, making a clear path towards her. But there was something about the person that was getting closer that just didn't sit right with her. Unlike everyone else who was enjoying the music they had their head down and were wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, even though it was too dark to see anything with them on.

/

 _Would you take the wheel_

 _If I lose control?_

 _If I'm lying here_

 _Will you take me home?_

 _/_

 _Could you take care of a broken soul?_

 _Oh, will you hold me now?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home, home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _Oh, will you take me home?_

 _/_

All of a sudden she saw a familiar face, followed by a loud sound and a flash of light before everything went dark.


	13. The Things We Do

SONGS:

*Me Before You - X Ambassadors "Unsteady" (Erich Lee Gravity Remix)

* * *

 _I feel the worst when I'm alone because_

 _that's when the monsters in my head say hello…_

* * *

Everything happened so fast, one minute Jace was watching his friends perform, marvelling at how Clary was standing in front of a crowd singing her heart out, and the next she was on the floor and the crowd erupted into screams. Without a second though Jace ran onto the stage towards the small redhead. Briefly he noticed Jonathan diving off the stage and tackling someone, but he didn't pay much attention. His entire being was focused on Clary and the blood pooling around her. Everything had turned to chaos and Jace could feel his entire world crumbling around him. They had barely had any time together. He refused to watch someone else he cared about die. He'd already lost his parents after he moved back to England, he wasn't about to lose Clary now.

It took everything inside of him to move aside and let the paramedics do their job. All he wanted to do was scream at them, to save her, to do their jobs. He didn't even get to ride in the ambulance since they only allowed family inside. By the time the rest of the band made it to the hospital Clary was already in surgery so all they could do was sit and wait. It was torture. Sit, wait, pace, repeat. Sitting in the stupid uncomfortable hospital chair was driving him insane. Simon was sitting on his left, Isabelle in the seat next to him balling her eyes out and clinging to Simon like he was her last lifeline. Simon looked like a ghost, all colour wiped from his face as he stared off into the distance and stroked Isabelle's hair gently.

Jon and Alec were sitting opposite Jace. Alec seemed to be talking to Jon in hushed whispers, most likely words of encouragement. Meanwhile Jonathan had his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. He was a wreck though Jace was sure he looked just as bad. His eyes felt swollen and his entire body was buzzing with adrenaline. He could feel himself shaking but the only thing that helped was moving around, but even that wasn't enough. Every second that passed felt like an hour and every minute an infinity. He had to know if Clary was okay. Her blood had stained his clothes and every time he moved he could feel it against his skin, reminding him what was at stake.

After a few hours one of the doors opened and a doctor walked into the waiting room. "Clarissa Fray?" The doctor asked, everyone jumped up simultaneously, anxious to find out how Clary was doing.

"Is she alright?" Jace asked, desperation lacing his voice, but he was too worried about Clary to care.

"The bullet was lodged inside of her shoulder, we did surgery in order to try and recover the bullet and stop the bleeding but there were complications." Every word he spoke felt like another blow to Jace's heart. He didn't think he would be able to stand it if she didn't make it. "We removed as much of the bullet as we could but there are some pieces that we couldn't reach without causing further damage."

"She's gonna be okay though, right?" Jonathan asked the doctor, his voice hoarse from crying.

"Miss Fray will live." Those four words were enough to make the tension in the room evaporate completely, replaced with relief and exhaustion. "It will be a long and hard recovery and we won't know the psychological damage until she wakes up. She will also have to live with the bullet fragments in her shoulder. We could try and remove them at a later date but it is safer if they stay where they are since they aren't causing any damage and removing them could be worse than leaving them in."

"Can we see her?" asked Jace.

"Of course, but she's not awake yet and probably won't be for a couple more hours and even then she'll most likely be exhausted." Soon they were all being lead down the sterile hallways and into Clary's room. She looked so pale lying in the stark white sheets. The only colour in the room was her bright red hair sprawled out across her pillow. The constant rhythm of the heart monitor eased Jace's mind as it was a reminder that she was alive.

They stayed by her side for hours, no one daring to break the heavy silence that had settled upon them. After a few hours Maia and Jordan arrived looking worse for wear. With them they brought some spare clothes for everyone to change into along with food and coffee. Reluctant to leave Clary's side it took some convincing to get Jace to go and change his clothes. As he made his way back to Clary's hospital room he found everyone standing just outside the door, clearly waiting for his return.

"What's going on?" Jace inquired, his imagination already running wild with possibilities.

"Relax Jace, Clary's fine. We just needed to talk to you guys." Maia told him in a calming voice. He released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and waited for Maia to continue. Instead Jordan began to talk.

"Listen, we've sorted everything out so that the rest of the tour is on hold until Clary gets better. The first chance we get we can transfer her to a hospital in New York if that's what you want, or she can stay here until she's fully recovered."

"Why does it sound like there's something you're not telling us?" Simon asked, his tone filled with suspicion.

"We did everything we could." Maia tried to explain.

"But…" Jace added, knowing he wouldn't like whatever Maia and Jordan were trying to tell them.

"You still have to perform the next concert." Before anyone could protest Jordan held up his hand so that he could finish his explanation. "The venue is insisting that you perform or they'll sue."

"Fuck that!" Jonathan exclaimed, clearly outraged. "Let them sue."

"You don't understand, you signed a contract so if we go back on it they could do some serious damage, including preventing you from ever going on tour again. This could ruin your careers." Jordan reasoned.

"Shit!" Simon muttered.

"I know it's horrible but we think you should perform." Maia tried to reason. "Clary's gonna be fine and she wouldn't want you to ruin your careers when there's something you could do about it."

"We'll make sure that you have to spend the minimum time possible at the venue. It's just this once, then you and Clary can take as much time as you want before we resume the tour." When Jordan finished everyone seemed to go quiet considering the possibility. They knew Maia was right about Clary not wanting them to ruin their careers. If she woke up and found out that they had stayed by her side while she slept rather than performed she would be furious. And yet, they hated the idea of abandoning her in her time of need, even if that meant just for a few hours.

"We'll do it," Jonathan told them grudgingly, "but as soon as we're off stage we're leaving and coming straight back here. I am NOT abandoning my sister when she needs me the most." Without another word he stormed off back into Clary's room, leaving the rest of them in the hall.

* * *

"I can't believe I agreed to this." Jonathan stated as he paced backstage. He still looked worse for wear, but after hearing the news that Clary would be alright, some life seemed to return to him. "I should be with her, in case she wakes up. Oh god, what if she wakes up and I'm not there. She'll think I abandoned her. She's gonna hate me." He wasn't talking to anyone in particular, more to himself really, as he probably wouldn't have noticed if no one else was even in the same room. "I'm going back." Immediately he stopped pacing and headed for the exit.

Alec being the closest, jumped into action and barred his path. "We agreed we'd do this show and then go straight back. It's what's best for the band."

"To hell with the band!" Jon exclaimed, now infuriated with them all. "The only thing I care about right now is my baby sister, who just so happens to be lying in a hospital bed!" He was visibly shaking, though it was hard to tell if it was from anger or nerves. Alec placed a calming hand on Jon's shoulder, not once muttering a word. It seemed he was able to communicate everything he wanted to with that one simple gesture. "What would you do if it was Izzy?" Jon pleaded, his voice cracking slightly with desperation and hopelessness.

Jonathan's words must have struck a chord as Alec suddenly released his grip on Jonathan and muttered two simple words, "I'd go." All too quickly Jace found himself blocking Jonathan's path once again.

"We have to do this for her." Jace tried to reason, knowing full well that no one's heart was in the right place to be performing. "What will Clary do if she wakes up and finds out that her career is over on top of being shot." He knew his argument made sense, more sense than anything else, but in a time like this no one listened to reason, instead they followed their hearts over their minds.

Before anyone had the chance to respond they heard a voice coming from a speaker announcing that it was time for them to go on stage. Jace looked pleadingly to his friends, but no one moved a muscle. It seemed as though he would be performing alone, he just hoped that would be enough to save them all. With a heavy heart he made his way on stage and sat on the stool that had been placed at the centre of the stage by the mic for him. Just before the music started he whispered something to himself, although he was aware that the mic had amplified his voice enough for the entire audience to hear him. "This one's for you Clary."

/

 _Hold_

 _Hold on_

 _Hold on to me_

 _'Cause I'm a little unsteady_

 _/_

 _A little unsteady_

 _Hold_

 _Hold on_

 _Hold on to me_

 _'Cause I'm a little unsteady_

 _A little unsteady_

 _/_

From the corner of his eye he saw Alec make his way on stage, heading directly towards the drum set.

/

 _Mama, come here_

 _Approach, appear_

 _Daddy, I'm alone_

 _'Cause this house don't feel like home_

 _If you love me, don't let go_

 _If you love me, don't let go_

 _/_

Before long he noticed the rest of his friends join them, one by one. Even Jonathan had appeared, sparing a single glance towards Jace.

/

 _Hold_

 _Hold on_

 _Hold on to me_

 _'Cause I'm a little unsteady_

 _A little unsteady_

 _/_

 _Hold_

 _Hold on_

 _Hold on to me_

 _'Cause I'm a little unsteady_

 _A little unsteady_

 _/_

 _Mother, I know_

 _That you're tired of being alone_

 _Dad, I know you're trying_

 _To fight when you feel like flying_

 _If you love me, don't let go_

 _If you love me, don't let go_

 _/_

 _Hold_

 _Hold on_

 _Hold on to me_

 _'Cause I'm a little unsteady_

 _A little unsteady_

 _/_

 _Hold_

 _Hold on_

 _Hold on to me_

 _'Cause I'm a little unsteady_

 _A little unsteady_

 _/_

All of a sudden all of the instruments seemed to climx before coming to a stop, allowing him to belt out the last few lyrics. His emotions pouring from him with every word.

/

 _Hold_

 _Hold on_

 _Hold on to me_

 _'Cause I'm a little unsteady_

 _A little unsteady_

 _/_

Even when the crowd roared to life, Jace couldn't hear any of their screams. Instead all he could think about was the burning sensation behind his eyes as he felt the salty drops of water run down his face. He though about the burning in his throat from singing like he'd never sung before, with every facet of emotion he could muster, pouring his soul, his entire being into the music. And he though about the small red-headed girl, lying in a hospital room, her life almost taken with such ease.


	14. Saying Goodbye

SONGS:

*Counting Stars - One Republic - w/ Chrissy & Alex Goot

* * *

 _You sometimes think you want to disappear_

 _But all you really want is to be found_

* * *

It took almost all the energy Clary could muster to peel her eye open. Her mind and body begged to stay in the comforting darkness that she'd previously inhabited but deep down she knew she needed to open her eyes. Clary tried to remember what had happened to her, why it cost so much to even blink, but the memories came in pieces. She could remember performing, singing her heart out, then everything became a mess of pain, and whispered words, and then nothing. None of it made any sense and it was starting to scare Clary.

By the time she finally managed to focus her eyes to the blinding light from the room she realised she was in what appeared to be a hospital room, an empty hospital room. Clary began to panic, desperately trying to remember what had happened. Was she the only one that got hurt? Why was she alone? What had happened?

The beeping sound that had been constant since she woke up suddenly began to speed up, and in the back of her mind Clary recognised the sound as a heart rate monitor. She scanned her body, trying to figure out why she was in the hospital. At first glance she couldn't notice anything out of the ordinary, all her limbs were still attached and in working order. She wondered if maybe it was a mistake, that she wasn't actually hurt. The thought didn't last very long as she finally saw the bandage around her shoulder and felt the dull throbbing coming from it. It was odd that she hadn't noticed it to begin with.

Seeing the bandage only caused her to panic further. Flashes of memory crossed her mind, the searing pain, the chaos and then the blood. Clary knew she needed to calm down, but as much as she tried, she couldn't. It was getting harder and harder to breathe with every passing second. It seemed as though the heart monitor became louder with every beep. Clary struggled to sit, putting pressure on her injured shoulder and receiving a stab of pain in return. She was pretty sure that if she could find any oxygen she would have cried out in pain. Instead all that came out was a sort of whimper and an exhale of precious air.

She was in such a panic that she didn't notice the door to her room opening. Suddenly her brother was at her side, rubbing her back in soothing circles and telling her to copy his own breathing.

"Jon." She managed to squeak between gasps.

"I'm here Clary, I'm right here." She looked into his green eyes that matched her own and forced herself to focus on them. She noticed they were bloodshot and puffy as if he'd just been crying. Her brother never cried, at least not to Clary's knowledge. But before her very eyes she watched as his began to shimmer and tears leaked out, one by one.

Without realising, she'd finally managed to calm down and was now simply staring at her brother in wonder. Gently she reached up and wiped away the tears as they fell. "Why are you crying?" It wasn't exactly what she'd meant to ask but as soon as she had calmed down enough to talk those were the words to slip out.

"You're in hospital and the first thing you say is 'why are you crying'? Only you Clary" he chuckled. She couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of it. Her brother was right, it was such a stupid thing to say but she couldn't help it. Before long they were both laughing hysterically. It wasn't that it had been that funny, but the more she laughed the funnier it became. Maybe it was just because she was so relieved to see her brother but whatever it was she couldn't stop. "I'm so glad you're okay Clare. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't."

"I'm fine." She reassured him, but before she could say anything else the door opened once again. She watched as the rest of her band (along with Isabel) entered, quietly at first, each one looking sullen, until they finally looked up and noticed she was awake. In a second they were all by her side, taking turns to embrace her tightly while trying not to hurt her.

"How are you feeling?" Alec asked her from his position at the end of her bed.

"I'm not really sure. I mean... my shoulder doesn't really hurt unless I put pressure on it, but I'm still really confused about what happened."

They all seemed to pale at the memory. Simon was the first to speak, "do you remember a while back when we were speaking to fans and that guy tackled you?" She nodded her head, unsure as to how that was relevant. "It turns out that guy has some weird obsession with you or something."

Isabel continued, noticing how Simon was struggling to explain. "Apparently he told the police that he loved you and wanted to be together, but when he tried that night he'd been dragged away by security. So instead he decided that if he couldn't be with you, he didn't want anyone else to either." Clary was still really confused, too tired to be able to piece everything together herself.

Jon noticed her expression so began to talk, "He was trying to kill you Clary." Jon choked out. "He smuggled a gun into the show and waited until you finished the song before he took it out and shot you."

Clary watched as everyone's faces once again drained of colour recalling the memory. "I'm okay." She tried to reassure them all. "What happened after...you know...he shot me."

"Someone decided to play the hero." Isabel said with a disapproving tone. "Your idiot brother dove off the stage and tackled the guy before he could shoot anyone else."

"You what?!" Clary exclaimed, looking disbelievingly at her brother.

"I don't know what happened, one minute I was on stage and the next I wasn't. I didn't even notice he'd hit you until I turned around and saw Jace trying to stop the bleeding." He whispered, almost as if he were ashamed.

"Jace?" She felt so stupid, how could she have not noticed his absence. "Where is he? Did something happen?" She could feel herself begin to panic again.

"Relax Clary, he's fine." Her brother reassured her.

"I wouldn't exactly say he was fine." Isabel muttered. "He was trying to be strong for all of us, but I think it finally got to him."

"What happened?" She wasn't sure she really wanted to know. A part of her did, but another part couldn't stand to hear even that.

Alec was the first to speak "After what happened, Jordan and Maia managed to postpone the rest of the tour except for one gig. They said if we didn't perform it could destroy our careers." He spoke as though he thought Clary would be angry at them for performing without her. Instead, she was grateful that they had, she didn't want them to loose everything they had worked so hard for because of this.

"We got to the theatre but it just didn't feel right." Simon continued, "We weren't gonna perform... but then Jace went onstage. I think he was gonna do it for all of us." He paused briefly before continuing. "In the end we joined him, but it was hard, being up there without you."

"He hasn't really spoken since." Isabel added.

"Where is he?" Clary asked, needing to see him. To make sure he was alright. She was met with silence, it seemed no one was going to answer her question. "I swear, if you don't tell me where he is I'm going to get out of this bed and go looking for him."

"He's in the waiting room." Jon finally replied. "He didn't want to watch while you were in pain."

"I need to talk to him." Clary explained as calmly as she could. Thankfully Alec seemed to understand because he volunteered to go and get him. It probably only took a few minutes but to Clary it felt like it stretched out into an eternity before the door opened again.

"We'll give you two some privacy." Izzy stated before half dragging everyone else out of the room.

There was a moment of silence where neither one dared to even move. It was suddenly broken when Jace raced across the room, unable to stand being away from her any longer. Clary was grateful for him closing the distance and before long they were embracing each other. She could tell he was holding her as tight as possible while still trying not to hurt her.

Eventually they broke apart, but before Clary could say anything, his mouth was on hers and she gratefully returned the passionate kiss. It felt like it had been forever since they'd been this close. Only when she felt her lungs were about to explode from lack of oxygen did she finally break away, noticing how he too was panting after their steamy kiss.

"I'm so happy you're okay." He spoke through his laboured breathing. Clary felt as his hand gently stroked her cheek as if to make sure she were real. "I thought I'd lost you. When I heard the gun go off and then watched as you fell to the ground…my heart felt like it stopped completely." She knew he was ranting, but Clary also realised that he needed to get it all out, that he'd been holding in these words since it had all happened. "You can't ever do that to me again Clary. I think I might die if you do."

"I promise, I'm not going anywhere." She replied, placing her own hands on his cheeks, trying to reassure them both in a way.

* * *

After two weeks Clary was released from the hospital though her arm was in a sling and would be for about three more months according to her doctor. The band had decided to return to New York for a while and relax for a couple of weeks before they continued on their tour. At first it had been hard, but eventually they managed to get back into the swing of things and before they knew it they were back in New York for the final time, about to perform for the last time on the tour.

"How are you feeling?" Jace asked her. He was standing behind her, Clary's back pressing against his chest, and his arms snaked around her in a loving embrace. Her own arms were above his own, though her sling did make it slightly difficult, they still managed to make it work. It wasn't unusual to find them in this position before a performance. It had become a sort of a tradition for both of them. A way to ensure they would both be okay and allow them to relax.

"I'm okay." She replied, her eyes glued to the stage that they would soon be performing on. In the back of her mind Clary could hear the screaming fans as they piled into the theatre. "I just can't believe it's over."

"In a good way or a bad way."

"I'm not sure. When the tour started my life was so different and so much has happened since. I just… don't know what's gonna happen when it's all over." Clary tried to explain, though even to her own ears it sounded kind of stupid. "I know it's ridiculous."

"It's not." He replied gently. "This tour has been…a life changing experience for all of us. Before it started our lives were very different, but now, we have each other and the fame will have to take a bit of getting used to."

"Yeah, I guess it will." Clary replied gently.

"Umm," At he sound of Simon's voice they were brought out of the little bubble they had formed that was just their own. "I hate to interrupt, but we're about to go on."

With one last gentle squeeze, Jace slowly retracted his arms from around Clary and took a step away from her. Before they went on stage, he gave her a small kiss on the forehead for good luck. "You'll do great, you always do." And then he was gone, walking onto the stage along with the rest of her band.

Clary took a deep breath before making her way onto the stage as well. Looking out into the audience she was able to see the smiling faces of Jordan, Maia, Magnus and Isabel. Usually they would watch from the wings, but since it was the last show they decided they wanted to be in the audience along with Clary and Jon's parents who had come to watch them as well.

 _Clary,_ ** _Jace,_** _Both_

 _Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep_

 _Dreaming about the things that we could be_

 ** _But baby I've been, I've been prayin' hard_**

 _Said no more counting dollars_

 _We'll be counting stars_

 _Yeah, we'll be counting stars_

/

 ** _I see this life_**

 ** _Like a swinging vine_**

 ** _Swing my heart across the line_**

 ** _In my faces flashing signs_**

 ** _Seek it out and ye shall find_**

 _Old_ _,_ ** _but I'm not that old_**

 _Young_ _,_ ** _but I'm not that bold_**

 ** _I don't think the world is sold_**

 ** _I'm just doing what we're told_**

 _And I, feel something so right_

 _Doing the wrong thing_

 _And I, feel something so wrong_

 _doing the right thing_

 ** _I could lie, could lie, could lie_**

 ** _Everything that kills me makes me feel alive_**

/

 _Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep_

 _Dreaming 'bout the things that we could be_

 _But lately I've been, I've been prayin' hard_

 _Said no more counting dollars_

 _We'll be, we'll be counting stars_

 ** _Yeah we'll be counting stars, yeah_**

/

 _I feel the love_

 _And I feel it burn_

 _Down this river every turn_

 _Hope is a four letter word_

 _Make that money_

 _Watch it burn_

 _Old_ _,_ ** _but I'm not that old_**

 _Young_ _,_ ** _but I'm not that bold_**

 ** _I don't think the world is sold_**

 ** _I'm just doing what we're told_**

 _And I, feel something so wrong_

 _doing the right thing_

 ** _I could lie, could lie, could lie_**

 ** _Everything that drowns me makes me wanna fly_**

/

 _Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep_

 _Dreaming about the things that we could be_

 _Lately I've been, I've been prayin' hard_

 _Said no more counting dollars_

 _We'll be, we'll be counting stars_

 ** _Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep_**

 ** _Dreaming 'bout the things that we could be_**

 _But baby I've been, I've been prayin' hard_

 ** _Said no more counting dollars_**

 _We'll be, we'll be counting stars_

 ** _Yeah we'll be counting stars, woah_**

/

 _Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep_

 _Dreaming 'bout the things that we could be_

 _Lately baby I've been, I've been prayin' hard_

 _Said no more counting dollars_

 _We'll be, we'll be counting stars_

/

 ** _Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep_**

 ** _Dreaming 'bout the things that we could be_**

 _But baby I've been, I've been prayin' hard_

 ** _Said no more counting dollars_**

 ** _We'll be_** _, we'll be counting star_

/

Clary listened to the thunderous applause from the audience and let herself get lost in it. No matter what happened in her life, she would always love that sound.

* * *

After the show finished the group decided to go for a drive and have a small campfire to commemorate their last day on tour. It was more than Clary could have hoped for. Having all of her friends gathered together in one place was incredible. It felt like home to her.

"Earth to Clary!" Her brother shouted from across the campfire. "You're marshmallow is burning!" She glanced down and saw that it was very much on fire. With a squeal she threw her stick into the fire, successfully cremating her snack.

Clary cursed herself for it two seconds later when she realised just how much she'd been looking forward to it. "What's wrong?" Jace asked her from his position at her side.

"I lost my marshmallow." She pouted. "Can I have some of yours?" She looked up at him hopefully. He leaned close to her so he could whisper in her ear.

"Nope." He replied in a normal voice. When he leaned back again he had a smug smile on his face. Clary glared at him in return. "If you wanted one so badly you shouldn't have gotten distracted." As if to emphasise his point he took a bite out of his and moaned in delight. "Delicious." He mumbled through a mouthful. Clary huffed and turned her back to him, determined to give Jace the silent treatment. She almost jumped when the marshmallow suddenly appeared in front of her face. "I'm only kidding Clare." When he chuckled Clary could feel his whole chest vibrate through her back. "Forgive me?" He asked lovingly.

She took a moment to think about it but eventually gave in and took a bite out of the marshmallow. "Only," she explained once she'd finished eating, "because this is so tasty." He smiled and pecked her lightly on the lips.

"It tastes even better on your lips." He flirted quietly so that no one else could hear them, not that they were even paying attention. Clary noticed that her friends had all broken off into their own silent conversations. Suddenly Clary felt a chill and moved closer to Jace hoping his body heat would help to warm her up. He tighten his grip around her in response, somehow knowing exactly what she wanted. Her jacket slipped off her bandaged shoulder and she scrambled to put it back again. Jae seemed to notice her speed wasn't all due to the cold. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Clary replied too quickly. He looked at her sternly and she knew he wouldn't let it go. She took a deep breath and mumbled, "I don't like people seeing it." Clary hoped he hadn't heard her but Jace had unusually good hearing.

"Why not? It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"It's ugly, and it's gonna scar." Clary looked down at her feet, unable to look him in the eyes when she felt like he could see right through her.

"Look at me." He gently coerced her head up so that she had to look him in the eyes. "It's not ugly Clary. When I look at your shoulder all I can think is how lucky I am to still have you and how brave you are, every time you go back on stage. I can't imagine what it was like to go through all that, but I know, that I love you all the more for it. Your scar isn't ugly to me. To me, it's incredible." Clary wondered how Jace always managed to say the exact right thing to make her feel better. She wished she could do the same, to tell him just how much she cared about him as well. Instead, she simple leaned froward and kissed him, hoping he'd know from that how much she loved him too.


	15. SONGS

**It's finally finished! I want to thank everyone that stuck with me over the last 2 years and apologise for the long wait. I did promise that I would finish this story and I'm happy to say that I stuck to my word. I know how annoying it is when you start reading a story only to find out it isn't finished. Granted, it did take me a very long time, but now it's done. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it.**

 **Here's a list of every song used in this story and what chapter it belongs to. If you want to find exactly which version/cover I used for each song just go to the chapter and it's listed at the top of the page.**

 _ **SONGS:**_

Chapter 1-

Chapter 2- OUTSIDERS

Chapter 3-

Chapter 4- CHEAP THRILLS + WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE

Chapter 5- ALL TOO WELL

Chapter 6- RECOVERY

Chapter 7- WHISPER

Chapter 8- YOUNGBLOOD

Chapter 9- WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE + I WANNA GET BETTER

Chapter 10- YOU'RE NOBODY 'TILL SOMEBODY LOVES YOU

Chapter 11- DREAMING ALONE

Chapter 12- TAKE ME HOME

Chapter 13- UNSTEADY

Chapter 14- COUNTING STARS

 **Thank you for reading and as always feel free to give me any thoughts in the comments/review section. Constructive criticism is always accepted.**

 **Until next time. -M**


End file.
